Let's face it: Peanut butter blossoms are as welcome on a Christmas cookie plate as they are at a kid's birthday party. How can anyone resist the classic combination of a chewy, homemade peanut butter cookie, topped with a chocolate kiss candy? While the standard version says to roll the peanut butter cookie dough in granulated sugar before baking, a fun holiday twist is to roll the cookies in colored sanding sugar, like red, green or even gold. These classic treats will be a hit at this year's holiday cookie swap!
What do you top peanut butter blossoms with?
A simple Hershey's Kiss is standard, but you can switch it up with white, dark chocolate, or Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses. Milk or dark chocolate peanut butter cups also work well here. Want to make this cookie even more festive for the holidays? Top a regular Hershey's Kiss candy with colorful Christmas sprinkles.
Why are my Hershey's Kiss cookies flat?
Cookies tend to flatten or spread when a few of the ingredients are out of balance or the temperature they're baked at is not quite right. A foolproof cookie recipe should have the correct amount of sugar (which turns into liquid while baking) and flour (which helps the cookie hold its shape when heated). Also, if a recipe calls for softened butter, it's best to use it when it's soft, but still cool. If butter has been at room temperature for too long, it may be too warm when you mix the cookies, thus it will melt too quickly and flatten in the oven.
Do Hershey's Kisses melt in the oven?
Hersey's Kiss candies can melt in the oven if left for too long or baked at too high of a temperature. For this recipe, we press the Hershey's Kisses into the just-out-of-the-oven cookies, so that the residual heat will soften the Hershey's Kiss (and help it bond to the cookie) while keeping its pretty shape.
What's the best way to store peanut butter blossoms?
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They'll stay fresh for about four days... if they last that long without being eaten!
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- Yields:
- 42 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 30 mins
- Total Time:
- 45 mins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c.
all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp.
baking powder
- 1/4 tsp.
baking soda
- 1/4 tsp.
salt
- 1/2 c.
butter, softened
- 3/4 c.
creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 c.
granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookies
- 1/2 c.
light brown sugar
- 1
large egg
- 1 tsp.
vanilla extract
Red and green sanding sugar, about 1/4 cup each (optional)
- 42
chocolate kiss candies, unwrapped
Directions
- Step 1In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Step 2To a medium bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the softened butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment), beat until creamy and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well to combine. Add the flour mixture in 3 to 4 batches, mixing on low speed to fully combine after each addition. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Step 3Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the sugar that you plan to use (granulated or sanding sugar) on a small plate.
- Step 4Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scoop mounded balls of dough (about 1 tablespoon each) and place them on a cutting board. Grease your hands and roll the scoops into balls. Roll each ball in the sugar of choice. Divide the balls amongst the 2 baking sheets.
- Step 5Bake just until the bottom edges look light brown, 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the trays between the top to bottom oven racks half-way through baking. Remove from the oven and immediately press a Hershey's kiss into the center of each cookie. (The cookie will crack slightly and that is ok!) Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tip: Unwrap all of the chocolate kiss candies while the cookies bake so you can work quickly to press the chocolates into the cookies while they're still soft.
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