New Recipe: Red Velvet Peanut Butter Blossoms

I don't think I've seen a Christmas cookie prettier or more Christmasy looking than this one. So naturally, I had to make them when I saw this recipe from i am baker. I made these cookies for our Christmas day get-together and dubbed them "The Prettiest Christmas Cookie Ever". I was a little wary of the red velvet/peanut butter combo. I'm not sure why, it just seemed weird. Guess what? Not weird at all. Quite tasty, in fact. I know this because I was eating them long after they probably should have been thrown out. 

The reason I'm sharing the recipe so long after Christmas is obvious, right? Wouldn't they also make a great Valentine's Day treat? I think so too.

Red Velvet Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients:

• 1 bag Hershey's Kisses
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I use Reese's)
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring (I used AmeriColor brand)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup red sanding sugar (sugar sprinkles)

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 375
2. Beat butter, peanut butter, and sugar in a stand mixer for about 2 minutes on medium speed. Turn mixer to low and add in egg, milk, vanilla, and red food coloring (your batter will be a bright red-pink color - don't be alarmed!). Mix for about 30 seconds to incorporate, then turn mixer to medium high and blend until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl mix cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt (original recipe says to sift but I hate sifting and it almost never seems necessary). With mixer on slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and beat until just combined (now your batter should be a gorgeous red color!).
4. Remove mixer bowl from stand. Shape dough into 1 inch balls (I used a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop). Pour red sanding sugar onto small plate or bowl. Roll dough ball in sanding sugar and place on prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
6. While baking unwrap Hershey's Kisses. Once cookies are done baking, remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate Kiss into the center of each cookie. The cookie should crack around edges.
7. Allow cookies to cool to room temperature.

RECIPE SOURCE: i am baker

Notes/Suggestion:

• I was disappointed when I first put in my red food coloring and didn't get that gorgeous perfect red color. I almost added more. But once I added the flour/cocoa mixture it was the perfect red velvet color. So don't get discouraged and don't add more food coloring.
• I can't remember if I greased the cookie sheet or not. Her instructions just say to put them on your "prepared cookie sheet" and since I made these a month ago...I just can't remember. 
• The recipe makes a lot of cookies and they seem to last forever. Seriously, I was eating them a week after I made them and they were still good.

Enjoy!