Peanut Butter Blossoms

Here's another recipe from "The Ron Paul Family Cookbook," I had posted a peanut butter cookie recipe previously. These are also called, "Black-Eyed Susans." This is a slightly different peanut butter cookie base, which seems to go better with the Hershey Kiss. I switched them one time, and both just tasted off. The recipe was originally from Ron's wife, Carol's mother. I've tweaked it a little - subbing 1/4 cup of the flour with white whole wheat and using the new Smart Balance shortening sticks. We were able to score a couple bags of holiday Hershey Kisses hidden away in the Christmas markdown aisle yesterday. It definitely pays to look behind the stacks of candy cane boxes! Keep your Kitchen Aid mixer happy and make a batch.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Kiss

Cream:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

Add:

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat well

Add:

1 3/4 cups flour (of which 1/4 cup is white whole wheat flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Beat well

Shape a rounded teaspoon into balls (roll in sugar-optional). Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8 minutes in 375 oven. (rotate sheets at halfway point). Remove from oven and press chocolate kiss (unwrapped) into each ball until edges of cookie crack. Bake an additional 4 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes approximately 48-55 cookies.