Peanut Butter Blossoms

So I had every intention of posting a series of delicious Christmas treats in the weeks leading up to Christmas.... And then never got around to it. I considered just holding on to all these recipes until the next holiday season, but decided that some things are just too good not to share. Besides, none of these recipes are really limited to just the Christmas holiday, and it's never too early to start thinking about some treats for your sweet on Valentine's Day.

Of course, Peanut Butter Blossoms are definitely something I always associate with Christmas, but they're so good I need to remember to make them at other times of the year as well. And as I've seen my sister-in-law do, you can always roll the dough in some colored sugar to make them a little bit more festive for any holiday or special event.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
(Yields 3-4 dozen cookies)

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Hershey Kisses (or other chocolate pieces)

Preheat oven to 375*. Beat butter and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add sugars; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat flour mixture into peanut butter mixture. Shape dough into one-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake eight to ten minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate piece into the center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely (or at least partially--my favorite time to eat these is when the chocolate is still a little melted from the heat of the cookie. Soooo good).