Holiday Peanut Butter Cup Cookies: The Reese’s Thins Adaptation
A simple, festive upgrade to your favorite peanut butter blossom cookie.
Crucial Insight: The genius of this adaptation is the use of **Reese’s Thins Peanut Butter Cups**. They are flatter than traditional Hershey’s Kisses, which allows them to soften perfectly on the warm cookie, making the application of sprinkles and other decorations incredibly easy.
Introduction
The holiday season demands comforting, classic treats, and the **Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie** is a staple on many festive platters. This cookie, traditionally featuring a soft peanut butter base topped with a Hershey’s Kiss, is getting a modern makeover. This article focuses on the specific instructions to create the **Holiday Peanut Butter Cup Cookies** by substituting the Kiss with a **Reese’s Thins Peanut Butter Cup**. This switch not only amplifies the peanut butter-chocolate flavor profile but also utilizes the unique shape of the “Thins.”
When pressed into the hot cookie, the Reese’s Thin softens just enough to create a slightly gooey, perfectly indented surface. This soft surface acts as a natural adhesive for holiday decorations, allowing you to easily personalize each cookie with sprinkles, sugars, or even small candies. The resulting cookie maintains that essential balance of salty, sweet, and chewy, perfect for gifting or sharing at a holiday gathering.
Ingredients
The foundation of a great Peanut Butter Blossom cookie lies in the balance of the creaming ingredients and the leavening agents. Always ensure that butter and eggs are at **room temperature** for a smooth, homogenous batter.
- **½ cup butter** (softened)
- **¾ cup brown sugar** (packed)
- **¼ cup white sugar** (granulated)
- **¾ cup peanut butter** (creamy is recommended over natural, separated style)
- **1 large egg**
- **1 teaspoon vanilla extract**
- **¼ cup milk** (any type)
- **½ teaspoon salt**
- **1 teaspoon baking soda**
- **1 teaspoon baking powder**
- **2 cups flour** (all-purpose)
- **Reese’s Thins Peanut Butter Cups** (unwrapped, approximately 4 dozen)
The combination of **baking soda and baking powder** is vital here; the soda reacts with the brown sugar’s acidity, while the powder ensures an even lift, preventing the cookie from becoming too dense. The high ratio of peanut butter to flour guarantees the signature flavor and tender chew.
