The History of the Union-Kissed Peanut Blossom Cookie
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11 Dec The History of the Union-Kissed Peanut Blossom Cookie

Posted at 17:26h in BCTGM-Made by

This is a sweet Christmas cookie story. It is a story about how a second place winner becomes a confectionary legend. It is a story about a peanut butter cookie, topped with a BCTGM Local 464-made chocolate Hershey’s kiss.

Formally called the “peanut blossom,” these cookies are near-ubiquitous around holiday baking traditions. They are the ultimate Christmas comfort confection― and they came into being by accident.

As the story has been told, a Ohio baker named Freda Smith intended to make a batch of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and after mixing part of the dough, she realized she was out of chocolate chips. So, she grabbed a bag of union-made Hershey’s Kisses instead and popped them atop the peanut butter confection.

Local 464 members Denise Kleinfelter, Elizabeth Clews and Todd Donmoyer produce the legendary Hershey Kiss in Hershey, Pa.

The story does not end there. Her accidental cookies were so loved by everyone that Ms. Smith entered them into the ninth annual Pillsbury Bake-off competition in 1957. Despite the deliciousness of Smith’s peanut butter blossoms, her recipe placed second in the contest. And yet, the peanut blossom has survived more than 60 years of cookie consumption as one of America’s holiday cookie traditions.

Smith’s cookie didn’t go totally unappreciated ― it just took a little longer to gain recognition. In 1999, the peanut blossom was inducted into the Pillsbury Bake-Off Hall of Fame and was added to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington D.C.

You can honor this sweet confectionary history by whipping up a batch at home and like Smith, pop a BCTGM Local 464 Hershey’s Kiss on top. Here’s the original recipe.

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