Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

I like Peanut Butter . . .

in Cookies, Candy and licking it off a spoon.

I don’t like Peanut Butter . . .

on bread.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies are even better!

I like this recipe.

It’s a cross between chewy & shortbread.

Did you know according to the National Peanut Board that . . .

Fun Facts

• It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
• There are enough peanuts in one acre to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.
• By law, any product labeled “peanut butter” in the United States must be at least 90 percent peanuts.
• Americans were first introduced to the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in 1928.
• Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth
• The oldest operating manufacturer and seller of peanut butter has been selling peanut butter since 1908.
• The world’s largest peanut butter factory churns out 250,000 jars of the tasty treat every day.

Consumption Facts

• The average American consumes more than six pounds of peanuts and peanut butter products each year.
• The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before he/she graduates high school. (not me)
• Americans consume on average over 1.5 billion pounds of peanut butter and peanut products each year.
• Peanut butter is consumed in 90 percent of USA households.
• Americans eat enough peanut butter in a year to make more than 10 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
• The amount of peanut butter eaten in a year could wrap the earth in a ribbon of 18-ounce peanut butter jars one and one-third times.
• Women and children prefer creamy, while most men opt for chunky.

Nutrition Facts

• The peanut is not a nut, but a legume related to beans and lentils.
• Peanuts have more protein, niacin, folate and phytosterols than any nut.
• Peanuts have a higher antioxidant capacity over grapes, Concord grape juice, green tea, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, carrots and many more.
• Peanuts and peanut butter contain over 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients.
• Peanuts are naturally cholesterol-free.

Now that you know so much more about Peanut Butter,

You really should make these yummy cookies.

You can criss-cross with a fork

or

Use a Food processor pusher to make pretty spirals.

Just dip the bottom into sugar before pressing down on the cookies.

You could also add Chocolate chips right to the dough.  That’s my favorite!

They are good just left “plain jane.”

If you have Hershey’s Kisses on hand . . . plop them on top of your warm cookie.

FYI:

If you have a husband who doesn’t like Peanut Butter cookies,

You can eat them all by yourself!

adapted from King Arthur Flour

INGREDIENTS:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

2) Beat together the shortening, sugars, egg, vanilla, and peanut butter until smooth.

3) Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the peanut-butter mixture, beating gently until everything is well combined. It may take awhile for this rather dry dough to come together; and when it does, it’ll be quite stiff. Only if necessary, drizzle in enough water to make the dough cohesive. Note:  I did need to add about 1 tablespoon of water

4) Drop the cookie dough by tablepoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets (a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here), leaving 2″ between them.

5) Use a fork to flatten each cookie to about 1/2″ thick, making a cross-hatch design.

6) Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until they’re barely beginning to brown around the edges; the tops won’t have browned. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

7) While the cookie is warm, place a Chocolate Kiss in the center and press down gently.

Yield: about 2 dozen cookies.