1950s Christmas Tray Peanut Butter Blossom Bars

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Below is a big, fully-featured, vintage-style recipe inspired by 1950s holiday baking culture. It includes introduction, ingredients, instructions, methods, history, formation, conclusion, plus fun “lovers” sections as you requested.

🎄 1950s Christmas Tray Peanut Butter Blossom Bars

A nostalgic, tray-baked twist on the classic peanut butter blossom cookie

⭐ Introduction

The 1950s were a golden age of tray bakes, potlucks, church socials, and glossy holiday spreads in women’s magazines. Kitchen shortcuts, pantry staples, and fun new products like chocolate kisses, shortening, and ready-to-use baking pans made home baking exciting and indulgent.

This recipe transforms the beloved Peanut Butter Blossom—traditionally a cookie crowned with a chocolate kiss—into a soft, chewy holiday bar perfect for Christmas cookie trays, gift tins, and nostalgic December gatherings. It’s buttery, tender, lightly crisp on the edges, and loaded with melty chocolate on top.

🧺 Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp whole milk (classic 1950s richness!)

Topping

  • 36–48 chocolate kiss candies (or chocolate drops)
  • Optional: holiday sprinkles or sanding sugar

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Step 1 — Prepare the pan

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Line a 9×13-inch tray or baking pan with parchment or lightly grease with butter.

Step 2 — Mix dry ingredients

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Set aside.

Step 3 — Cream the butter & sugars

  1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy—about 2–3 minutes.
  2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
  3. Mix in vanilla and milk.

Step 4 — Combine wet & dry

  1. Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture.
  2. Mix only until combined—don’t overbeat.

Step 5 — Spread & bake

  1. Spread the batter evenly in your prepared tray.
  2. Bake for 20–24 minutes, or until lightly golden and springs back when touched.

Step 6 — Add chocolate blossoms

  1. Remove from oven and immediately press chocolate kisses across the top in even rows.
  2. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

🛠️ Methods

Creaming Method (Classic 1950s Baking Technique)

This recipe uses the old-school creaming method, which incorporates air into the butter and sugar, giving the bars their tender, cake-like structure.

Tray Bake Method

Unlike cookies, this is baked as one large sheet, making it:

  • easier
  • faster
  • more uniform
  • ideal for holiday gifting or party platters

Chocolate-Pressing Method

Pressing the chocolate kisses onto the hot bars allows them to soften just enough to stick without melting completely.

📜 History

Origins of Peanut Butter Blossoms

The classic Peanut Butter Blossom cookie was created in the 1950s by Freda Smith of Gibsonburg, Ohio, who submitted it to the 9th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest in 1957. Though it didn’t win first place, it became one of the most beloved American Christmas cookies of all time.

Why a 1950s Tray Version?

The 1950s were the rise of:

  • convenience baking
  • casserole-style desserts
  • “tray bakes” to feed large families
  • holiday cookie swaps

This bar form pays homage to that era’s festive practicality.

🧱 Formation (How the Bar Structure Works)

  • Peanut butter + butter create a soft, moist crumb.
  • Soda & baking powder provide lift while maintaining chewiness.
  • Tray shape ensures even baking—crispy on the edges, soft in the middle.
  • Chocolate kisses pressed on top form the iconic blossom shape across the entire pan, creating little bite-sized peaks in each square you cut.

❤️ Lovers Section I — For Peanut Butter Lovers

This recipe is designed for those who adore:

  • warm, nutty peanut flavor
  • soft and chewy textures
  • nostalgic holiday treats

The bars are wonderfully peanut-forward without overpowering the chocolate.

❤️ Lovers Section II — For Chocolate Lovers

Each slice is crowned with a mound of melty chocolate bliss—smooth, sweet, and perfectly balanced with the salty-sweet peanut base.

🎁 Conclusion

These 1950s Christmas Tray Peanut Butter Blossom Bars are festive, nostalgic, and wonderfully simple to prepare. They embody the warmth of mid-century holiday baking—built for sharing, gifting, and celebrating the season with classic flavors.

Cut them into squares, add them to cookie tins, or serve them at holiday parties—they’re guaranteed to delight anyone who loves old-fashioned Christmas treats.

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