Using Leftover Candy

I do not want to mislead you, but typically my household does not have leftover candy.  This Easter my Mom who has memory issues forgot that she had purchased candy for her granddaughters and purchased about triple the amount  she would normally give.  Grandma then gifted all of this candy, which I am guessing weighed about 15 pounds.  I love my dentist, but do not feel that I should completely fund her retirement.  I have hidden some of the candy, but wanted to use some of the candy.  My inspiration came from those Two Bite Brownies that are sold in the store.  We had about 3lbs of Hershey's Kisses so I decided to combine Peanut Blossom Cookies and Two Bite Brownies and came up with Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts.  My motto is "cook once eat twice" so I doubled the recipe and made 8 1/2 dozen cookies in less than one hour, including prep, bake time and clean up. No one has time to be in the kitchen, so why not make the most of your time. Store a couple dozen in the freezer for later.

 This recipe is a great time saver because there is no shaping the dough into balls and the cookies are baked in the muffin tins, so if you have a few tins you can bake many cookies at once.

Place an upside down Hershey's Kiss in the center of each cookie, after 8 minutes of baking.  Then return the pans to the oven for 1 minute so the chocolate gets all melty and delicious.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts

Makes about 4 dozen

1/2 C shortening
1/2 C peanut butter
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 T milk
1 t vanilla
1 3/4 C flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 bag of Hershey's Kisses (unwrapped)

Cream shortening and peanut butter.  Gradually and sugar; cream well.  Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well.  Add dry ingredients gradually into creamed mixture. Using small cookies scoop (2 teaspoon size), place dough into mini muffin tins.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven; press an upside down Kiss into each of the cookies; return to the oven for 1 minute. Remove from the oven and let cool until cookie is set. Remove cookies from tins and cool on wire racks.  Cookies are easier to remove if edge is golden brown.