Peanut butter blossom cookie explained

Peanut butter blossom cookie
Alternate Name:Peanut butter kiss cookie
Type:Peanut butter cookie
Course:Dessert or Snack
Country:United States
National Cuisine:North American cuisine
Creator:Freda Strasel Smith
Year:1957
Mintime:30 minutes
Maxtime:60 minutes
Served:48 cookies
Main Ingredient:
Minor Ingredient:
Variations:Multiple, including using Hershey's Hugs, Candy Cane Kisses, Caramel Kisses, Cocoa for Chocolate Peanut Butter dough
Serving Size:1 cookie
Calories:90
Calories Ref:Fat Secret
Protein:2
Fat:6
Carbohydrate:10
No Recipes:false

The peanut butter blossom cookie originated in 1957, is made with a peanut butter cookie dough, and is topped with a piece of chocolate candy. The cookie is considered a snack or dessert and is often served at events or during holidays in the United States.

The exact term "peanut butter blossom cookie" refers to the original variation of the cookie – a soft peanut butter cookie rolled in granulated sugar and topped with a Hershey's Kiss. However, many variations on the recipe have since evolved to include different flavors, both in the dough or as the topping.

The classic peanut butter blossom cookie can be easily adapted for different occasions.[1]

Overview

The cookie originated in Gibsonburg, Ohio, as an entry into the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off contest.[2] The cookie was originally named Black-eyed Susans, but was renamed by Pillsbury to the Peanut Butter Blossom cookie.[3]

The original cookie recipe can be found on the back of the Hershey's Kisses bag, and in the 9th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest cookbook[4]

Authors of dessert recipe books, cooking blogs and websites have since created their own variations on the cookie.

History

Invention

Freda Strasel Smith of Gibsonburg, Ohio, created the cookie by substituting chocolate chips out for Hershey's Kisses[5] in a batch of peanut butter cookie dough. Due to the size of a Hershey's Kiss, it was placed on top in the center of the cookie after it was baked instead of mixed in the dough like a traditional chocolate chip peanut butter cookie.

In 1957, Smith entered the cookie, then called Black-eyed Susans, into the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest.[6] Pillsbury changed the name to Peanut Butter Blossom following its success in the competition.[3]

The peanut butter blossom cookie went through to the final round of the competition held in Beverly Hills, California, and finished in third place.[7]

Later history

The peanut butter blossom cookie has become a recognized dessert across the US, largely due to Pillsbury and the Hershey Company capitalizing on the popularity of the cookie after the contest by using the recipe to promote their own brands.

In 1965, Pillsbury filmed a commercial in New York City featuring Freda Smith's daughter, Jo Anne Smith Lytle, making the famous peanut butter blossom cookies.[8]

Pillsbury Company stated the Peanut Butter Blossom is one of the most famous recipes ever entered into the bake-off contest,[9] despite it not winning 1st prize.[10]

In 1999, the Peanut Butter Blossom cookie was one of ten recipes inducted into the Pillsbury Bake-Off Hall of Fame[11] at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.[12]

Hershey's Marketing

The Hershey Company capitalized on the recipe by including it on every bag of Hershey's Kisses after Freda Smith placed in the 1957 competition, which helped promote and grow the peanut butter blossom cookie to what it is today – a cookie frequently found on Christmas dessert tables across the US,[13] as well as a popular option on cookie tables at weddings.[14]

The Original Peanut Butter Blossom

The original recipe created by Freda Smith can be found on Pillsbury's website,[15] and is the same recipe Hershey still promotes to this day.[16]

To make the Hershey's Kiss stick in the cookie, it needs to be pressed into the center as soon as the cookies come out of the oven and are still hot.[17] It is advised the paper plume and aluminum foil be removed from the Kiss prior to baking the cookie.

Nutritional Information

1 cookie contains 90 calories, 6 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs and 2 grams of protein.[18]

Variations

There are many variations to this classic cookie.[19] Cookbooks, cooking blogs and websites have published many twists on this easy, simple cookie recipe. To get more festive for holidays, bakers add colored sugar crystals, or to get more of a peanut butter taste, bakers use a peanut butter cup in place of the Hershey's Kiss.[20] Some variations on the cookie use a Hershey's Hugs to add white chocolate into the cookie.

Another option is to add more chocolate by using cocoa powder in the dough.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Crocker . Betty . Betty Crocker Cookies: Irresistibly Easy Recipes for Any Occasion . 2019 . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . 978-0-358-11815-2 . 350 . April 15, 2020 . en.
  2. Web site: Cookies: Tracking the tale of a favorite – the Peanut Blossom. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  3. News: Smith . Kathie . Classic Cookie Puts Ohio Woman into the Pillsbury Hall of Fame . April 14, 2020 . news.google.com . Toledo Blade . May 25, 1999.
  4. Web site: The Biggest Mistake America Made In 1957. December 3, 2014. HuffPost.
  5. Web site: Classic Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies. BettyCrocker.com.
  6. Web site: Peanut blossom cookies with a more robust peanut flavor. February 4, 2019. AP NEWS.
  7. Web site: Cookie recipe blossoms. The News-Messenger.
  8. Web site: Peanut Blossom Cookies, a holiday favorite. Lori Fogg, A. Coalcracker in the. Kitchen. NorthcentralPA.com. December 21, 2019 .
  9. Book: Sember . Brette . COOKIE: A Love Story: Fun Facts, Delicious Stories, Fascinating History, Tasty Recipes, and More About Our Most Beloved Treat . October 21, 2012 . Sember Resources . 978-0-9845026-9-1 . 384 . April 15, 2020 . en.
  10. Web site: 8 Things You Didn't Know About the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest. Pillsbury.com.
  11. Book: Smith, Andrew F.. The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. May 1, 2007. Oxford University Press. 9780199885763. Google Books.
  12. Web site: Pillsbury Company Bake-Off Collection - contents · SOVA. sova.si.edu.
  13. Web site: Peanut Butter Blossoms. December 11, 2019. A Bountiful Kitchen.
  14. News: The Wedding? I'm Here for the Cookies. Ron. Lieber. The New York Times. December 15, 2009.
  15. Web site: Peanut Blossoms. Pillsbury.com.
  16. Web site: Peanut Butter Blossoms | HERSHEY'S Kitchens. www.hersheys.com.
  17. Web site: Peanut Butter Blossoms. October 23, 2019.
  18. Web site: Calories in Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms and Nutrition Facts. www.fatsecret.com.
  19. Web site: Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms. December 9, 2016. Sally's Baking Addiction.
  20. Web site: 10 Festive Cookie Recipes to Get You in the Holiday Sprit. December 23, 2016. Spoon University.