Soft peanut butter cookies rolled in sugar and topped with a chocolate kiss pressed in while warm. The classic Christmas cookie exchange cookie; makes about 36.
Peanut butter blossoms are a cookie-exchange classic: a soft, sugar-rolled peanut butter cookie with a milk chocolate candy kiss pressed into the center right out of the oven.
Unwrap the chocolates before you start baking; the cookies need them the moment they come out.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup sugar, for rolling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
36 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
Make the dough. Heat the oven to 375°F. Beat the butter, peanut butter, 1/2 cup sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then mix in the flour, baking soda and salt.
Roll. Roll into 1-inch balls and roll in the 1/3 cup sugar.
Bake. Bake 2 inches apart on parchment-lined pans 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden.
Add the chocolate. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie; the cookie will crack around the edges.
Cool. Cool completely so the chocolate sets.
Tips
To freeze: let it cool, wrap it well or seal it in freezer bags, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or warm briefly in the oven.
Chill the unwrapped kisses for 10 minutes so they hold their shape.
Store in a single layer in an airtight tin up to 5 days.
Questions about this recipe
Can I use natural peanut butter?
Regular creamy peanut butter works best; natural peanut butter can make the cookies dry and crumbly.
Why did my chocolate melt flat?
The kisses were warm. Chill them first, and let the cookies cool before stacking.
