Recipe Box - Peanut Blossoms

I wasn't planning to post this recipe; but since Jennifer asked for it in a comment on the last post, I'll gladly share it here.  :)  This recipe is from my all-time favorite cookbook, Mennonite Country-Style Recipes and Kitchen Secrets by the lovely and kind Esther Shank.

Cream together thoroughly:
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar

Add, beating well:
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk

Add:
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
(The recipe doesn't specify this, but I always mix the dry ingredients together first before adding them to the wet ones so that no one ends up with a bite of baking soda.)  :)

Have ready:
chocolate kisses to garnish

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar to coat.  Place on greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Remove and place a chocolate kiss or star in center of each cookie.  Press slightly.  Return to oven and bake 2 minutes more.  (I actually never do that step.)

I like these cookies for a few reasons.  First, I have fun memories of enjoying them as a child so I'm sentimental about them.  Second, it's an easy recipe to get my kids involved in (they especially like unwrapping the chocolate kisses, because of course, I let them have a few--that whole don't-muzzle-the-ox-that-treads-the-grain thing, you know).  ;-)  And third, it's a simple cookie but really tasty, especially if you do like I always do and eat around the outside of the cookie, leaving the wonderful Hershey kiss to be popped into your mouth in the last bite.  Yum!  :)