Recipe Re-Do: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

These peanut butter kiss cookies are a delicious classic and some of the easiest holiday cookies you'll ever make!

Making Christmas cookies with my mom and siblings is one of my favorite holiday memories from growing up. It was such a special treat and often a big enough job that everyone (even in my big family) could pitch in. We have experimented with new and different great recipes over the years, but there are a few that we always came back to year after year: mom's frosted cut out cookies, magic cookie bars (known to some of you as 7-layer bars or as Hello Dollies), and these peanut butter kiss cookies. This recipe is not revolutionary or difficult and it's one that I doctored up and posted way back in 2012, but it makes the tastiest cookies and that's really all that matters-- especially at this time of year.

The cookies are a pretty traditional chewy peanut butter cookie dipped in sugar for a little extra holiday sparkle. You can use crunchy peanut butter if you like, but I prefer a smoother cookie. Once the cookies are rolled and baked, they're topped with one Hershey Kiss candy. And a chocolate kiss is the perfect complement to a perfect peanut butter cookie!

These cookies freeze really well and the recipe is easy to multiply-- so these are perfect for baking and gifting too!


Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 45-50 Hershey's Kiss candies, unwrapped and refrigerated or frozen

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together butter, milk, peanut butter, vanilla, brown sugar, and 3/4 granulated sugar. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.

Pour remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Roll cookie dough into golf ball-sized balls and then roll in the granulated sugar until fully coated. Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, take one cold Kiss and press it into the middle of each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to complete cooling process. I recommend putting the rack in the refrigerator to ensure that the candy firms up and isn't still melty before you store these cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.