Peanut Butter Blossoms & Balls

An Army of Peanut Butter & Chocolate

Holidays have a lot to do with sweets in my house. For Thanksgiving it's pies and at Christmas it's cookies.  And lots of them...

Peanut Blossoms, a recipe from my Mom's best friend, Lynne.

Call me nostalgic, but making the same cookie recipes year after year is one of ways I pay tribute to my mother.  It has been 15 years since she died, but each year I spend time baking cookies with her [recipes].  I can't imagine ever getting tired of it - or these sweets.

Peanut butter and chocolate are a heavenly combination.

                                                                         
Here are two of my holiday favorites recorded here just as they appear on the handwritten recipe cards.

                                                               
Peanut Blossoms: 
The recipe quantities in parenthesis mark a triple batch...and yes, it makes a LOT of cookies!
 1 ¾ (5 ¼) c. sifted flour
    1 t. (3t.) soda
    ½ t. (1 ½ t.) salt
    1 (3) egg
    1 t. (3t.) vanilla
    ½ c. (1 ½ c.) shortening
    ½ c. (1 ½ c.) peanut butter
    ½ c. (1 ½ c.) brown sugar
    ½ c. (1 ½ c.) sugar
Cream butters, shortening and sugars. Add egg and vanilla.  Add rest.  Shape into balls and roll in sugar. Bake 375º for 10 min.  Remove from oven and press Hershey Kiss in center till cookie cracks.  Bake till browned (2 min).  Makes 4-5 dozen.

Peanut Butter Balls:
Unlike "buckeyes" (their Northern cousin) these have krispies on the inside and usually get a full chocolate coating.
2 c. peanut butter
1 stick margarine
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 ½ c. Rice Krispies
Mix together in the order given. Add enough [powdered sugar] to make dough roll well.  Roll into 1” balls.  Chill. [freeze!]  Dip in chocolate.  Do not use milk chocolate. One recipe makes approx. 65-70 balls.

Melt together in double boiler:
    1-8oz. Hershey chocolate bar
    1 small pkg. chocolate chips
    ½ bar paraffin  
[Mom's Note:] This coats a double batch of the peanut butter mix:
1 lg. bag chocolate chips (real), ½ block paraffin (or less), 1 t.vanilla

These are always a hit - just don't make them too big!

December 2012, contributed by Rebecca