For nearly 16 years, the Christmas gift for the neighbors has been peanut butter kiss cookies. Making these kiss cookies has not only been a reliable favorite, but they are also easy to make with kids and not the staple sugar cookie kind most people receive. So when I realized the Hershey Kiss stash from the USA was empty, it was time to get creative. This year it’s all about England’s own favorite miniature chocolate, Maltesers.
Equally perplexed as an American expat what these notorious candies are that seemingly have won the nation over, I finally gave the Maltesers a try. Interestingly enough, they are equivalent to an American Whopper, or more simply put, a malted milk ball.
So if you can’t handle the exorbitant prices of Hershey Kisses on Amazon either, welcome a new Christmas cookie tradition while living abroad in the UK: The Peanut Butter Malteser Cookie.
Peanut Butter Malteser Cookie Recipe
Total time to make: 1 hour.
Makes almost 4 dozen cookies.
Ingredients:
- 2 bags of Maltesers Chocolate Pouch 93g
- ½ cup (or 115g) butter, softened
- ¾ cup (or (170g) creamy peanut butter
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- ½ tsp ground sea salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for rolling the peanut butter balls)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 180℃.
2. Beat butter and peanut butter together in a large mixing bowl. Add the granulated sugar and light brown sugar, then beat with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, then beat until well mixed.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda and sea salt together. Mix together.
4. Add ⅓ of the dry mix to the wet mix at a time. Mix until all incorporated.
5. Add the granualted sugar to a wide, flat bowl for rolling the peanut butter balls. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar until they are completely covered.
6. Arrange balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until lightly brown.
8. Immediately press a Malteser into the center of the cookie before transferring to a cooling rack. The cookie will slightly crack. This is ok! Transfer cookies to cooling rack.
9. Enjoy!
As a Christmas gift, buy festive bags, ribbon, and tags. Divide cookies into bags, along with extra Maltesers or candy canes (also a tricky American favorite to find in the UK) and you have the perfect neighbor gift.
Admittedly, my preference is Hershey Kisses. But when in England, Maltesers are a great backup choice. So, English up your Christmas cookie tradition if you’re living in the UK this Christmas season. Try something different and see the results. It might just become a new family favorite while living abroad.
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