Weekend Company {Guest Blogger Tina}

Yay, it's the weekend again! I don't know about you, but I would like to start a petition to make the weekend 5 days long and the work/school week on the short end with only 2 :) I don't see the problem, do you?? My gust in the kitchen today has been here once before, and I'm so happy to have her back. Please welcome for the second time, Tina from Sugar Bean Bakers~

Hi, my name is Tina from Sugar Bean Bakers. 

I'm a graphic designer with a passion for photography and I have a huge crush on flour. And sugar. And cocoa. And butter. Oh... butter.

I began blogging last year at the suggestion of a friend. Well, actually her husband suggested that I start a blog. I had been baking and posting the resulting photos and recipes on Facebook until that time. I try to present fun and easily achievable recipes. No Martha Stewart ingredients here! Just regular stuff that regular people like showcased with step by step photography.

Baking and I have a long history. I'm a farm girl, and grew up very involved in 4-H. I took cooking as a project many years. I baked and cooked with my mom growing up, and even after I got married. Once married, I continued to bake until I had my son. At that time, it seemed easier to just reach for those place and bake cookies than to make something from scratch. I still baked, but usually just for holidays and special occasions.

A couple years ago I stumbled upon Bakerella's blog. From there, things changed. I suddenly remembered what I used to love about baking.

Now, I bake two times a week, at least. I bake on Sunday nights to have treats for lunch boxes, and on Wednesdays, when I send the goodies to the Bean's youth group.

Who is the Bean? Oh, I'm glad you asked. Since my son, now 14, was very small, I have called him "Sugar Bean". I told him should I ever open a bakery (very unlikely), I would name it either The Sugar Bean Bakers or The Sugar Bean Bakery. I needed a name for my blog and it just seemed right. However, there's no Bakery to speak of... so... Sugar Bean Bakery was out. Sugar Bean Baker sounded odd... so... that was out. Sugar Bean Bakers it is, even if there is but one baker. Of course there will also only ever be one "Sugar Bean" in my life :)

 

So, let me tell you about Peanut Butter Blossom cookies.

For years, I had convinced myself that these were called Peanut Butter Kisses.

Incorrect.

Peanut Butter Kisses are those black and orange wrapped peanut butter taffy that old ladies give on Trick or Treat.

And that no one likes.

I remember getting those on Trick or Treat and thinking, “trick, definitely trick.”

That and boxes of raisins. And pennies.

What was with the pennies?

Pennies.. me no likey.

Snickers? Me likey!

Peanut Butter Kisses? Nay.

Peanut Butter Blossoms? Yay!

So, that is what I’m making today.

You’ve probably all made these a time or two. Or a hundred.

You probably even have your own favorite recipe.

I’m showing you mine though. You, of course, can substitute your own if you wish it.

These are updated for Valentine’s Day. I saw the idea on Pinterest, which I tracked back to this site, eighteen25. 

Sadly, I wasn’t clever enough to come up with this on my own.

Woe is me.

Heart shaped chocolates in place of the kisses. Total brill.

Yeppers.

Now, you’ll see residing there in the middle of these puffy peanut butter cookies lies Dove chocolates.

Confession #1: I don’t like Dove chocolate.

GASP!

I know so many people out there, including the Bean, LOVE Dove. Dove is 2nd on the Bean’s list, only after Godiva.

I, however, prefer Hershey’s. True story.

Confession #2: I love Peanut Butter Kiss Blossom Cookies, but I pop the chocolate off and eat it last!

I never eat the chocolate AND the cookie together.

Is that odd? Please reassure me that I’m not the only weirdo person out there that does this!

My unlike of Dove aside, these are SUPER DE DOOPER cute, yes?

No worries, I’ll just pop the chocolate off and feed it to the Bean. I doubt he’ll object.

You can roll these in pretty sanding sugar, if you like:

to get cookies like this: 

If you want, you could tint the dough with red gel food coloring.

I didn’t take that route today though. Maybe some day I’ll travel it.

I, personally, think they are prettier nekkid.

So stop yapping and get to the recipe, eh?

Alrighty then, the recipe I use is from Pillsbury.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Sugar

48 Hershey's® Kisses® Brand milk chocolates, unwrapped (or in this case, heart shaped chocolates)

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, shortening, peanut butter, milk, vanilla and egg; mix with electric mixer on low speed until stiff dough forms. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375°F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately top each cookie with 1 milk chocolate candy, pressing down firmly so cookie cracks around edge; remove from cookie sheets.

I made some of mine larger (you can see one in the photo with the colored sugar), and baked for the larger for 12 minutes. The smaller (normal size) I baked for 10. 

The chocolate will keep its form, but will take at least a couple hours to set back up, so be sure not to touch it. 

Make some for your sweeties for Valentine’s Day, you know you wanna!

Oh, and be sure to visit eighteen25 and tell them I sent ya, lots of fun ideas there.

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