PEANUT BLOSSOM BARS

"We've taken one of our most requested recipes, Peanut Blossoms, and created a bar recipe with the same great flavors. If you're short on time, this recipe is for you."

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups Pillsbury All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
40 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, margarine and peanut butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add milk, vanilla and egg; blend well; set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Press dough in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 19 to 24 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Immediately press candy kisses into bars, forming 5 rows of 8 kisses each. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.

Cut into bars with 1 kiss in center of each.

KITCHEN TIP:
While these bars bake, unwrap the candy kisses so they can be pressed into the bars as soon as the pan comes out of the oven.

Makes 40 bars
Adapted from source: Pillsbury Home for the Holidays, November 1999