Description
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies are a classic and delicious treat featuring a soft, chewy peanut butter cookie rolled in sugar and topped with a melting Hershey’s Kiss. Perfectly balanced with creamy peanut butter and a touch of vanilla, these cookies bake up beautifully golden with a delightful crackled surface. Chilling the dough ensures the cookies maintain their shape during baking, resulting in the perfect texture for holiday gatherings or everyday indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter (JIF brand recommended)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (very soft, room temperature)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sweeteners
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (for cookie dough)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for rolling cookie dough balls)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed)
Additional
- 28 Hershey’s Kiss candies (unwrapped and frozen)
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Mix Wet Ingredients and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, add creamy peanut butter, softened unsalted butter, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, and packed light brown sugar. Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the large egg and vanilla extract into the peanut butter mixture. Beat again until the mixture is smooth and the egg is fully mixed in.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl for even incorporation.
- Chill Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour, up to 2 days. This step firms the dough and helps control spreading during baking.
- Prepare Baking Sheets: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare Sugar for Rolling: Place the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar in a small bowl for coating the cookie dough balls.
- Form Cookie Dough Balls: Using a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out measured amounts of dough. Roll each scoop into a smooth ball and then roll the ball in the granulated sugar until fully coated. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing them properly.
- Preheat Oven and Chill Dough Again: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place prepared cookie dough balls back into the refrigerator while the oven heats to maintain chill and prevent excessive spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake 9-12 cookies at a time in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are pale golden and centers appear set. The cookies will develop a crackled sugar coating.
- Add Hershey’s Kiss: Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, gently press a frozen Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie, allowing the heat to soften it slightly.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature.
- Repeat Baking Process: Continue baking and decorating the remaining dough balls until all cookies are baked and fully cooled.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is important to control spreading and maintain cookie shape.
- Using frozen Hershey’s Kisses helps them hold their shape longer when pressed into warm cookies.
- Ensure butter is very soft but not melted to achieve the right dough consistency.
- Rolling the dough balls in sugar adds a beautiful crackled texture and a sweet crunch.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes per batch
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Hershey Kiss Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Classic Cookies
