Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies (Big Oven)

NOTES:

1. Based on a recipe from Big Oven

2. Susan K's recipe adds 2 Tbls of milk to the ingredients that are creamed together.

3.  There is another version and well-tested recipe here. It looks as if that recipe will make about twice as many as this one.

4. This recipe makes about 30-35 cookies. Amounts for double recipe are in parentheses.

5. Liz thinks a handheld mixer would work just fine.

6. This recipe reduces the total sugar by 1/4 cup to reduce the sweetness. It also was made with natural peanut butter and with milk and came out fine.


INGREDIENTS:
1-3/4 cup flour (2-1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt (1 tsp)
1 tsp baking soda (2 tsp)
a short 1/2 cup brown sugar (3/4 cup)
a short 1/2 cup sugar (3/4 cup)
1 egg (2)
1 tsp vanilla (2 tsp)
OPTIONAL: 2 Tbl milk (4 Tbl)
1/2 cup margarine or butter softened
1/2 cup peanut butter, room temp
1 bag (11 oz) Hershey kisses, but there'll be plenty to spare (2 bags)
Extra sugar for rolling dough balls


PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 375. Ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper.

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, use the mixer to mix the butter and peanut butter until fairly fluffy and well combined.

3. Add sugars gradually to the peanut butter mix until creamy and well-blended. If texture is grainy, keep mixing.

4. Beat in egg, vanilla, and milk (if using).

5. Stir in flour mix, gradually, until just combined.

6. Roll into one-inch balls, and cover in sugar.

7. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 8-1/2 minutes.

8. While cookies are baking, unwrap appropriate number of kisses.

9. Remove cookies from oven and press an unwrapped kiss into the top of each cookie. You should feel a fair amount of resistance from the batter before releasing the kiss. Avoid going all the way through the batter!

10. Return to oven and bake for another 2-3 minutes, being careful not to overbake. The kisses will lose their form.

11. Let cool for 2-4 minutes on the baking sheet before carefully moving to a baking rack.