Peanut Butter-Fudge Blossoms

IPC kitchen orders the grocery from Sam's Club each week.  Due to lack of refrigerator/freezer and dry storage space, we can't buy in bulk from large food vendors.  Though Sam's Club's fax n pull service is wonderful, you don't always get what you order so we learn to be flexible and improvise.

These peanut buter blossom cookies use Hershey's Chocolate Kisses (click for previous post), but since we did not get them in time to make our Wednesday dessert, we made simple fudge instead to fill the cookies.   And boy, these cookies freshly baked with warm, soft fudge center was simply beautiful!   

Since we multiplied the recipe by 5, we use the scale to measure the dry ingredients.  Here is a baking conversion chart.   If you are baking in large volume, measuring by weight is really the best way and your  baking result will be more consistent.  

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Peanut Butter-Fudge Blossom Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

8 Tablespoon (1 Stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Fudge
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment papers. Process 2/3 cup flour and peanuts in food processor until finely ground. Transfer to bowl and stir in remaining flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in two batches, mixing until just combined. Do not over beat. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes until firm.

3. In the mean time, put chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl.    Microwave on medium until ingredients are melted, about 3-5 minute, stirring once or twice during cooking.  Let cool for few minutes and put the chocolate mixture in a gallon Ziplock bag to use it as a piping bag.  Keep it at room temperature while shaping and baking cookies.

4. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes until just set and beginning to crack. Remove from oven, and immediately, using the back of the measuring spoon or round dull object, make small depressions in the center of the cookies.  Let cool slightly.

5. Cut a small opening in one corner of the ziplock bag with a pair of scissors.  Carefully pipe the fudge into the center of the cookies.  Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. 

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Bars

Here is a simple no-bake dessert that my church family love. An upgraded rice crispy treats with peanut butter, peanuts, and chocolate glaze! I multiplied the recipe one too many time, so bars are piled too high which made it hard for older diners to eat. But everyone loved the taste and wonderfully crunchy texture.


Corn syrup binds the cereal and keeps the texture crispy.


For quick crushing of nuts, we put them in ziplock baggie and gently tap them with a rubber mallet.


After warming peanut butter mixture, add the rice crispy cereal and peanuts.


When making a large volume, apply oil spray on latex gloved hands to mix cereal and peanut butter mixture.


Halve the mixture and press it down. Sprinkle chips of your choice, we used both peanut butter chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips, then add the remaining mixture. Press down the mixture into the pan.


Drizzle melted chocolate and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

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Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Bars

1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 oz)
1 cup light corn syrup (8 oz)
1 cup peanut butter (8 oz)
1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped (4 oz)
6 cups Rice Crispy cereal ( 6 oz)
1 cup peanut butter chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted in microwave 30-60 seconds


1. Grease 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Bring sugar and corn syrup to simmer in large pot. Off heat, add peanut butter and peanuts, stirring until smooth. Add rice crispy cereal and stir until incorporated.

2. Scrape half the mixture into prepared pan and press into bottom and corners with greased spatula (or with greased gloved hands if making a large volume). Sprinkle peanut butter chips or chocolate chips, if using. Add the remaining mixture, pat the mixture down. Drizzle melted chocolate over top and spread to cover. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Slice and serve. (Bars can be stored in airtight container for 2 days.)

Note: Recipe times 2 for 24x12x2 steam pan, which yields 32 bars