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Tender peanut butter cookies rolled in sparkling sugar and crowned with chocolate kisses, pressed into their warm centers the moment they leave the oven. This is 1950s America on a cookie tray.
This cookie tells the story of postwar American optimism. In 1957, Freda Smith of Gibsonburg, Ohio entered her peanut butter cookie recipe in the Pillsbury Bake-Off and changed holiday baking forever. She didn't win first place that year. She won something better: a permanent spot in the American cookie canon.
The genius lives in the contrast. That soft, slightly salty peanut butter crumb gives way to smooth milk chocolate. The sugar coating adds sparkle and crunch. And pressing a Hershey's Kiss into the warm center isn't just decoration. It creates a crater of melted chocolate that fuses cookie to candy, two textures becoming one.
I've watched generations of children make these cookies. Little hands can roll the dough balls, coat them in sugar, and press the kisses in place. This is democracy in baking. No piping bags, no tempering, no anxiety. Just honest technique and the satisfaction of producing something beautiful that tastes even better than it looks.
Make these the week before your holiday gathering. They keep wonderfully and improve slightly after a day or two, the peanut butter flavor deepening as the cookie settles into itself. Stack them in tins, give them as gifts, or hide a few in the back of your pantry where nobody will find them. You've earned that privilege.
Quantity
240g (1 3/4 cups)
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
115g (1/2 cup)
Quantity
130g (1/2 cup)
Quantity
100g (1/2 cup), plus 150g (3/4 cup) for rolling
Quantity
110g (1/2 cup packed)
Quantity
1
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
48
unwrapped
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| all-purpose flour | 240g (1 3/4 cups) |
| baking soda | 1 teaspoon |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| unsalted butter, softened | 115g (1/2 cup) |
| creamy peanut butter | 130g (1/2 cup) |
| granulated sugar | 100g (1/2 cup), plus 150g (3/4 cup) for rolling |
| light brown sugar | 110g (1/2 cup packed) |
| large egg, room temperature | 1 |
| whole milk | 2 tablespoons |
| pure vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| Hershey's Kissesunwrapped | 48 |
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. This takes thirty seconds and prevents streaks of leavening in your finished cookies. Measure your flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling with a knife, or better yet, use a scale. Compacted flour makes dense, dry cookies.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until completely smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. The mixture should look unified, no streaks of butter visible, with a consistency like thick frosting.
Add the 100g granulated sugar and all of the brown sugar to the butter mixture. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. The mixture will increase in volume and become noticeably paler. This step incorporates air and dissolves sugar crystals. Don't rush it.
Add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl again. The mixture may look slightly curdled at first. Keep beating. It will come together into a smooth, glossy batter.
Add the flour mixture to the bowl all at once. Mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain. Stop the mixer and check the bottom of the bowl for pockets of flour. Fold them in by hand with a spatula. The dough will be soft but scoopable, not sticky enough to cling to your fingers.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Cold dough holds its shape better and produces a thicker, chewier cookie. If chilled longer than an hour, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before shaping.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the remaining 150g granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Unwrap all 48 chocolate kisses and set them within arm's reach. You'll need them the moment cookies leave the oven.
Scoop level tablespoons of dough (about 20g each) and roll between your palms into smooth balls. Roll each ball in the sugar, coating completely. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. They spread modestly but need room to breathe. You'll fit about 12 per standard sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the halfway point. The cookies are ready when edges are set and lightly golden but centers still look soft and slightly underdone. They'll firm as they cool. Overbaked peanut butter cookies become crumbly rather than tender.
Working quickly, remove sheets from the oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss firmly into the center of each cookie. Press straight down until the base of the kiss meets the cookie surface. The cookie will crack slightly around the edges. This is correct and beautiful. The warmth softens the chocolate just enough to create adhesion.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. The chocolate will firm up as it cools, developing a slight matte finish. Resist sampling until fully cooled unless you want molten chocolate on your fingers. Actually, that's not such a bad fate.
1 cookie (about 19g)
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