Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies are a classic treat, featuring a soft peanut butter cookie base crowned with a chocolate kiss.

These cookies encapsulate the essence of joyous celebrations in my family. Crafted with love, these cookies boast a soft peanut butter base that cradles a Hershey’s Kiss, creating a delectable fusion of nutty warmth and chocolate sweetness. With each bite, the tender cookie yields to the creamy embrace of the iconic chocolate center. These festive delights, adorned with a Hershey’s Kiss crown, hold a special place in holiday traditions. For my husband, they are the epitome of Christmas cheer, their nostalgic allure a testament to the magic of homemade treats and the warmth of cherished traditions.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Additional granulated sugar (for rolling)
• About 36 chocolate Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat oven
   • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream together wet ingredients
   • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
3. Add egg and vanilla
   • Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. Combine Dry Ingredients
   • In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Mix wet and dry ingredients
   • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
6. Shape Dough into Balls
   • Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat.
7. Bake
   • Place the sugared dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each.
   • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
8. Add chocolate kisses
   • Immediately press a chocolate Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie.
9. Cool
   • Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Anniversaries of the heart

It is December 2024. My daughter came over to do some Christmas baking and decorating with me last night. We made a batch of these cookies. If part of my lifetime December pastimes is baking cookies together with my daughter for Christmas, I will likely not leave this world disappointed. Since the day she took up residence in my being, she has been one of my most favorite people. But it is different now that she is grown and out on her own. Our shared story narrative may have changed now but her place in my heart is so fixed – a piece of my firmament walked in the door last night and made some cookies with me. I am not a Grinch or anything, but I can tell you when I first felt her presence, my heart grew bigger and made room for her.

It is also right before my husband’s birthday. He is a December “baby”. He happens to be one of those unlucky ones whose birthday celebrations are not so conveniently wedged in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So inevitably he celebrates alongside many other holiday festivities. He loves these cookies and not just because they taste good but also because they remind him of his mom who is no longer with us. I make these cookies this week of the year for Christmas cookies with my daughter for the fun of it, but they are also small round peanut butter I Loves You birthday treats to my husband and his mom topped with a kiss.

Updated and republished since 12/12/2024.

©2025 S. Mottet bloomhearty.com writing, creation, and design