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There’s only one way to level up bakery-style peanut butter cookies: Transform your recipe into peanut butter blossoms with classic Hershey’s Kisses. While traditional peanut butter cookies are delicious, peanut butter blossoms are one of the most revered holiday cookies because of their creamy milk chocolate centers. They’re also fairly foolproof to make, but if yours tend to fall apart, make sure you’re using the right kind of peanut butter. Specifically, use conventional peanut butter rather than natural.
Unlike uniform, pre-mixed peanut butters like regular Skippy and Jif, natural peanut butter often has a thinner, grainier consistency. The best and worst brands of natural peanut butter come in a separated state, meaning the oil and peanut solids aren’t homogenized. Therefore, when you use natural peanut butter to make classic blossom cookies, you may inadvertently use more oil than peanuts, or vice versa.
Furthermore, unlike conventional brands that include stabilizers such as hydrogenated oils, natural peanut butters typically only contain peanuts and salt. The addition of hydrogenated oils keeps the fat in regular peanut butter from separating during the baking process. Conversely, the oil in natural peanut butter may not mix evenly into your cookie dough, which can leave you with greasy, crumbly, inconsistent results. That being said, if you’re determined to use natural peanut butter to make these one-of-a-kind delights, there are a few important tips worth following.
The right way to use natural peanut butter in your next batch of cookies
To give a smooth and tender crumb to peanut butter blossom cookies made with natural nut butter, first make sure to pre-mix it. Especially if you’re used to eating natural peanut butter, you already know oil tends to sit on the surface of every jar and has to be mixed before consuming.
The absolute best way to mix natural peanut butter is to use an electric mixer with a single beater attached. To achieve equally consistent results, you can also secure a new jar, store it upside-down in your pantry for a few days, and then shake. To ensure the contents are fully mixed, you may need to use a spoon upon opening. Nevertheless, always give your peanut butter a good stir before spooning it into a measuring cup. This guarantees a better balance of fat in each serving.
If your favorite peanut butter happens to be on the runnier side, you can also add a bit more flour to your cookie recipe. Though, if you don’t feel comfortable adjusting the recommended ingredients, consider using a natural peanut butter that doesn’t require stirring. Opt for a brand available on Amazon like Santa Cruz Organic No Stir. This variety, in particular, includes organic palm oil and should help your next batch of peanut butter blossoms stay intact.
