I’ve often attributed The Food Network for teaching me to cook, but the real truth is I learned a lot from watching my grandmother, or Granny, as we called her. On big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, she took charge in the kitchen the way only a matriarch with years of experience can. It wasn’t until after she passed and my dad and I took over making our holiday meals when I was in college that I realized how much work was put into each feast.
A couple days before Christmas each year I’d go to my Granny’s house and we’d bake cookies. And we always made the same four kinds: Tollhouse, rum date balls, snickerdoodles, and peanut butter blossoms. We’d take over the entire kitchen while reading recipes on old notecards with hand written or typed instructions. The love for each recipe could be measured by how stained and faded the card was.
I was recently granted custody of all her old recipes and cook books that had been placed in a large box years ago when my grandfather moved. I set the books aside and immediately began rummaging through the recipe boxes bursting with yellowed notecards searching for my favorites. In the back of one box was a very familiar oldie but goodie. On a very faded notecard were typed instructions for peanut butter blossoms.
These were one of my favorite cookies to make with her. I’d help roll the dough balls in sugar before popping them in the oven and when they met the approval of my Granny’s expert eye, she’d pull them out and I’d press a Hershey Kiss into the center of each warm cookie.
Even though these were always a Christmas treat, I’m putting my own spin on them for Easter. I’m keeping the same cookie recipe, but instead of Hershey Kisses, I’m using Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs. It’s less of a blossom and more of a nest, but the idea is still there and the cookies are just as I remembered. Soft, chewy, and the prefect amount of peanut butter.
To scoop the dough balls, I’m using a two tablespoon scoop. I made the cookies a little larger than my Granny’s to accommodate the Reese’s egg, but you could make these a little smaller if you’re using Hershey Kisses.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Makes 24
- 1/2 Cup Sugar + 1/4 Cup Sugar, for rolling the dough
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Butter, softened
- 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 3/4 Cup Flour
- 2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 24 Mini Reese’s Eggs
Preheat the oven to 375. Cream the half cup of sugar, brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and egg using a mixer. Sift the flour, soda, and salt together and slowly incorporate into the wet mixture. Using a scoop or your hands, roll the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each. Roll each dough ball in the quarter cup of sugar and bake on for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, remove from the oven and press the Reese’s Egg in the center of the cookie. Place back in the oven for 2 more minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.
