Peanut Butter Blossoms

best peanut butter blossom with hershey's kiss on parchement paper

4.70 from 33 votes

It's not even Christmas without Peanut Butter Blossoms, right? I've updated this classic recipe (a peanut butter cookie topped with a Hershey's Kiss) to make these cookies THE BEST. They are super peanut buttery and soft! The dough does not require chilling, so they are easy and quick to make.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Chill time15

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Karen

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter 1 stick
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar packed
1 cup peanut butter not natural pb
1 large egg
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling
40 Hershey's Kisses about half an 11 ounce package

Instructions

Start out by tossing your bag of Hershey's Kisses in the freezer. If they are chilled when you press them into the cookies, the Kisses won't fall off when the cookies cool.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl.
Add 1/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup packed brown sugar. Beat well until fluffy, scraping the sides. There should be no chunks of butter.
Add 1 cup of peanut butter. I like Jif best. Beat well until combined.
Add 1 egg and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat until combined.
Add 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, but don't stir it in yet. Add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt on top of the flour and stir it in with your teaspoon to combine the dry ingredients together a bit.
Turn the mixer on to combine the dry ingredients into the dough. Don't overdo it! Once the dough barely starts to come together (with some flour still visible), stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Continue mixing until you no longer see flour streaks, then turn off the mixer. Over mixing cookie dough results in tough cookies.
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 15 minutes to an hour.* (Or up to 2 days!)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add about 1/2 cup granulated sugar to a bowl.
Shape the dough into 1 inch balls. I used a cookie scoop.
Roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Place on a baking sheet. I added 15 cookies to an 11x17 inch pan. The cookies don't spread much at all, so you can place them closer together than regular cookies.
Bake the cookies at 350 for about 8-10 minutes. The cookies are done baking when the edges are set, tap it with your finger. The center should be matte, not shiny. These cookies do not spread much, they will be plump little mounds.
Meanwhile, unwrap about 40 Hershey's Kisses. Place them in a bowl and put them back in the freezer until the cookies are done baking.
Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately press one frozen Hershey's kiss on top of each cookie. The edges should crack beautifully.
Let the cookies set up on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The chocolate kiss will melt completely but maintain its shape. Let them cool undisturbed so the kisses don't get messed up. You can pop the pan in the fridge or freezer if you want to speed it up.
If you know what's good for you, eat at least one of these warm, with a tall glass of milk!

Notes

*Usually when I tell you to chill the dough on a cookie recipe, it's absolutely essential. But you can bend the rules on this recipe. I like to give it at least a 15 minute chill to help the flavors develop and make the dough easier to work with (it's quite soft). But you can skip the chill completely if you want, the cookies will bake up just fine!

Nutrition