Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies:
A Fine Motor Project
Soft, chewy and easy-to-make, these peanut butter blossom cookies are not only a delicious sweet snack, but this recipe is also packed full of fine motor and upper body skills. Today’s project will focus on bilateral coordination, visual motor integration skills, and the pincer grasp. Additional fine motor exercises are provided to continue working on fine motor and upper body skills at home. Try these tasty, peanut buttery blossom cookies, they’re mouthwateringly, delicious.
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Hello Sweet Friends
It doesn’t snow often here in our part of Tennessee. But just recently, we got a big snow. I spent my days sledding with my kids, watching them construct a life size snowman, and spent hours playing in the snow. We had 7 days of at least six inches of snow. It was amazing and beautiful, and exhausting all at the same time.
We made peanut butter blossom cookies together on one of their snow breaks. They hit the spot, and were so yummy and delicious on such a cold day. These cookies also make a lovely, sweet treat when celebrating Valentine’s Day, a festive holiday, or really any day of the year. They’re my husband’s childhood favorite cookie. I can’t wait for you to try these peanut butter blossom cookies.
Today’s Project: Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Of course, today’s project is a sweet one! Not only are we focusing on the sweet deliciousness of this recipe, but we will really be taking a deep dive into the fine motor and upper body skills that are required to make these chewy, over-the-top peanut butter blossom cookies.
The important part of when you are focusing on fine motor skills, is to make sure you or the person you are working with, demonstrates or are working towards the correct grasp or skill needed. Make sure to read each of the fine motor and upper body sections below and refer to the pictures for the correct grasp or skill before beginning the recipe.
Before we get started, let’s first take a look at the fine motor aspects of this project recipe.
Occupational Therapy Fine Motor Focus
As an occupational therapist, I love activities that incorporate a range of fine motor skills especially one that ends as delicious as this. Today’s project focuses on bilateral coordination skills, visual motor integration skills, and the pincer grasp. Keep in mind the fine motor portion of this recipe is not only great for children, but for individuals of all ages. If you want an engaging, purposeful activity that focuses on specific fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, visual motor integration skills then this project is for you. Plus, there’s a great reward at the end.
If you have concerns regarding fine motor skills, contact your occupational therapist to address any concerns you may have.
Upper Body and Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are referred to as the coordination of the small muscles in the hands to perform tasks such as writing, buttoning, preparing meals, and turning pages of a book. We use fine motor skills as well as upper body skills such as bilateral coordination and visual motor integration skills everyday, throughout the day. For example, such tasks include shutting cupboard doors, turning a key to unlock a door, zipping up zippers, buttoning, using a can opener, driving, and typing on a keyboard.
The Pincer Grasp
The pincer grasp uses the pads or tips of the index finger and thumb to grasp small objects. Furthermore, this type of grasp is important for handwriting skills, picking up small objects, and dressing skills such as manipulating buttons and zippers.
When working through this recipe, focus on using the pincer grasp (see picture above) while unwrapping the Hershey Kisses, and while carefully placing the unwrapped Hershey Kisses onto the hot, just out of the oven cookies (when appropriate for the individual regarding safety with hot surfaces).
Bilateral Coordination Skills
Bilateral coordination is the ability to coordinate both sides of the body together in an activity. This can been seen when using both sides of the body doing the same action such as when using a rolling pin. On the other hand, bilateral coordination skills are also be seen when coordinating both sides of the body in alternating actions such as when using scissors and holding a piece of paper at the same time. Bilateral coordination is an important life skill needed for completing various tasks and activities throughout the day. For example, bilateral coordination is needed for food prep (ie: peeling potatoes and mixing a bowl of dough), buttoning, sports, and school-based skills such as scissoring.
Bilateral coordination skills are seen in this activity while unwrapping the Hershey Kisses, measuring ingredients, scooping out dough, rolling the dough into smooth rounded balls with both hands, and rolling each cookie dough ball in sugar. Focus on using both hands together in a coordinated manner. Demonstrate the steps of the recipe and provide hand over hand assistance as needed.
Bilateral Coordination Activities For Home
- Practice lacing with lacing games or make your own using thin cardboard and a single hole puncher. Wrap the end of the yarn piece with masking tape to make a tip. (see picture)
- Play ball games whether rolling it to a partner, throwing, or bouncing the ball. (picture)
- Participate in (safe, age appropriate) kitchen tasks such as stirring batter or a bowl of cookie dough, safely peel potatoes or carrots, cut easy-to-slice fruit using a butter knife, break dried spaghetti, spoon liquid or other sauces into a bowl while the other hand stabilizes the bowl, using a pitcher pour glasses of water or juice while the other hands holds the cup, use small tongs to place ice in cups, and/or roll out cookie dough.
- Pick flowers such as dandelions and clover. Pick flowers with one hand while reaching across the midline to place the flower in the other hand. Make sure to switch hands.
Visual Motor Integration Skills
Visual motor integration skills is the ability to use the eyes (visual perception) and the hands together in smooth and efficient ways (motor action). In this visual perceptual skill, the visual system helps to guide the movements of the hands, as well as provide information about an object’s size, shape, estimated weight, and texture before actually engaging in a task. The control of eye movements along with processing of visual input help to guide the hands in grasping and reaching for objects.
Visual perceptual and visual motor skills are needed throughout our daily lives performing tasks such as during food prep, sports activities like catching a ball or hitting a ball with a bat, handwriting and copying from the board, sewing and knitting, opening a bag of chips, and buttoning clothes.
Of course, throughout this project, visual motor integration skills are used from opening the Hershey Kiss wrappers to measuring ingredients, rolls dough between our hands, and (when appropriate) placing Hershey Kisses on top of each baked cookie.
Visual Motor Integration Activities For Home
- Complete dot-to-dots and mazes
- Play catch with a friend or family member from a standing or sitting position
- Complete puzzles
- Sit or lay down in a dark room. Using flashlights, make letters, numbers, or pictures using the flashlight pointed at the wall of ceiling.
- Make paper airplane, copy one another folding paper, or create origami
- Paint with paint by number, or even try these printable color by numbers for both children and adults
- Help with food prep as age appropriate such as mixing a bowl of dough, practice measuring ingredients, peel the outer peels of garlic and onions, snap green beans and break mushrooms in pieces, or try washing unpeeled potatoes with a soft scrub brush or sponge.
Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use natural, organic peanut butters that separate)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling (approximately an additional 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed down
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Hershey Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat baking mat.
- Using either a large mixing bowl or kitchen aid mixer, cream the peanut butter, unsalted butter, both sugars, and salt. Cream together until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter and peanut butter, and mix until combined. Do not over mix.
- Using a number 40 scoop or approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons, scoop out dough. Rolls the balls of together using the palms of your hands making smooth dough balls.
- Place approximately 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll the balls of dough in granulated sugar covering all sides. Place on the lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes and remove from oven when the cookies look slightly cracked and the bottom edges are slightly browned.
- Immediately, place a unwrapped Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie carefully. Let the cookies cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to one week. Enjoy ~
Resources
- This recipe has been adapted from the popular food blog, the Preppy Kitchen by John Kanell. If you haven’t checked out his baking blog, please do. In addition to these cookies, he also makes a wonderful German chocolate cake and his homemade caramel sauce is over the top delicious.
- Free printable color by number for kids by Crayola
- Free printable adult color by number for adults by Coloring Only
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