Peanut Butter Blossoms – Three Ways Recipe
Introduction
Peanut Butter Blossoms are a classic cookie favorite, loved for their soft texture and delightful chocolate kiss center. This recipe offers three tempting variations: traditional blossoms, crinkle cookies, and thumbprint cookies filled with your favorite jam. Ready to bake and impress?
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt*
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ½ cup peanut butter (creamy)
- ½ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 24 unwrapped chocolate kisses
- ¼ cup jam or filling of choice for thumbprint cookies
Instructions
- Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Step 2: In another medium bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and peanut butter until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, then beat to combine.
- Step 3: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Step 4: Shape the chilled dough into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball (about 1 inch). Roll the balls in sugar and place them on parchment-lined cookie sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.
- Step 5: For crinkle cookies, roll the dough balls first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar to achieve the perfect crinkle effect. For thumbprint cookies, roll the balls in sugar, then press an indentation in the center with your thumb or a wooden spoon. Chill the prepared cookies while preheating the oven.
- Step 6: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Step 7: Bake the cookies for approximately 12 minutes. For traditional Peanut Butter Blossoms, immediately press an unwrapped chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven. For thumbprint cookies, gently re-press the indentation after baking.
- Step 8: Let cookies cool on the sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, fill thumbprint cookies with jam or your favorite filling. For crinkle cookies, let them cool 10-15 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Step 9: Enjoy your delicious Peanut Butter Blossoms, crinkle cookies, or thumbprint creations!
Tips & Variations
- Use creamy peanut butter for a smoother dough and better texture.
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and keep cookies thick and soft.
- Try different fillings like Nutella, lemon curd, or various jams for thumbprint cookies to customize flavors.
- Rolling crinkle cookies in both granulated and powdered sugar creates a beautiful crackled effect.
Storage
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before serving. Reheat gently in a low oven or microwave to restore softness if desired.
How to Serve
Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.
FAQs
Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy?
You can, but crunchy peanut butter may create a slightly different texture and make the dough a bit less smooth. For best results, creamy peanut butter is recommended.
Do I need to chill the dough before baking?
Yes, chilling the dough for at least an hour helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and ensures a thicker, softer texture.
Print
Peanut Butter Blossoms – Three Ways Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Description
Peanut Butter Blossoms – Three Ways is a delightful cookie recipe featuring classic peanut butter cookies topped with chocolate kisses, with optional variations to make crinkle cookies or thumbprint cookies filled with jam. These cookies are perfectly soft, chewy, and offer a fun way to enjoy peanut butter treats with different textures and flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
Wet Ingredients and Sugars
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ½ cup peanut butter (creamy)
- ½ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For Rolling and Topping
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 24 unwrapped chocolate kisses
- ¼ cup jam or filling of choice for thumbprint cookies
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside for now.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In another medium bowl or stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and peanut butter until the mixture becomes fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until just combined.
- Combine Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet mixture, and beat on low speed until the dough is just combined. Avoid over mixing to keep the texture tender. Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
- Shape Dough: After chilling, shape the dough into balls approximately 1 inch (2 cm) in diameter, a bit smaller than a golf ball. Roll these dough balls in sugar and arrange them 2 inches (4 cm) apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
- Optional Variations: For crinkle cookies, roll dough balls first in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar for a perfect crinkle effect. For thumbprint cookies, roll dough balls in sugar and use your thumb or the back of a wooden spoon to make an indentation in the center of each dough ball. Chill the shaped cookies while the oven preheats.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) to prepare for baking.
- Bake and Finish: Bake cookies for about 12 minutes. If making Peanut Butter Blossoms, immediately after removing from oven, press an unwrapped chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie while still warm. For thumbprint cookies, press down again to deepen the indentation after baking. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, fill thumbprint cookies with your choice of jam or filling. For crinkle cookies, cool on the cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool fully before enjoying.
Notes
- Do not overmix the dough after adding the flour to ensure cookies remain tender.
- Refrigerating the dough for at least an hour helps the cookies maintain their shape while baking.
- Rolling the dough balls in both granulated and powdered sugar creates a beautiful crinkle effect for those cookie variations.
- Chocolate kisses should be placed immediately after baking while the cookies are still warm to ensure they slightly melt and stick.
- Thumbprint cookie indentations should be re-pressed right after baking to hold the jam filling perfectly.
- Use room temperature egg for better incorporation into the dough.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Peanut Butter Blossoms, Peanut Butter Cookies, Chocolate Kiss Cookies, Crinkle Cookies, Thumbprint Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Easy Cookie Recipe
