Christmas Cookies

Here is what you need to make peanut butter kiss cookies, or as my Mom calls them, Russian Hats:

So why hasn't anyone invented the bag of already unwrapped Hershey Kisses? I'm just askin:

Preheat oven to 375. Then beat softened butter and peanut butter until well blended.

Mix in white and brown sugar:

Add egg, milk, and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda & salt. Then gradually beat into the sugar/peanut butter:

Shape into 1 inch balls then roll in sugar:

Place on ungreased, newly purchased at the fabulous Cuisinart/Conair annual sale, or whatever cookie sheets you have on hand, and bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Then immediately press kisses into the center of each cookie. They will delicately crackle around the edges just so:

A special shout out to my SIL's Mom Rosie who hand crocheted the fabulous hot pads seen above. These are my absolute favorite hot pads ever. My SIL Lucy has tons sitting in her hot pad drawer and I found it hard not to slip a few in my purse when visiting. But Rosie came through and gave me a few for Christmas last year. Thanks Rosie, I luv ya!

So remove from pan and cool on wire rack and:

Oh, there's that fabulous Christmas themed hot pad again! I arranged the Russian Hats with the Furballs (dipped a few in white chocolate for those non-coconut lovers) for a lovely Christmas display:

Enjoy!

48 Hershey Kisses
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Beat butter & peanut butter until well blended. Add sugars and blend. Add egg, milk, vanilla and mix.

In a separate bowl stir flour, soda & salt. Then gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Then immediately press kiss into center of each cookie. Cookies will crackle. Remove and cool on wire rack.

Notice the clever use of diverse baking methods; blend, mix, beat, stir.....