A Taste of Home, Sweetened with Memories
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1-stick), softened
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (i use jif)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- additional granulated sugar (for rolling cookie balls in)
- 48 hershey's chocolate kisses unwrapped
- Carbohydrate 6.67721381327138 g
- Cholesterol 10.6025833376348 mg
- Fat 5.16979022394761 g
- Fiber 0.38379675841325 g
- Protein 1.46968315619564 g
- Saturated Fat 2.4684845281818 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (20g)
- Sodium 1300.5604029461 mg
- Sugar 6.29341705485813 g
- Trans Fat 0.361572291252652 g
- Calories 77 calories
Step-by-step
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Remove wrappers from chocolates; set aside. Place about 1/2 cup sugar (for rolling) in an 8-inch cake pan or shallow dish; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until well blended. Beat in granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla, and beat until well blended. Gradually mix reserved dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Using a tablespoon measure or cookie scoop, portion out dough and shape into balls about 1-inch in diameter. Drop balls into pan with sugar and shake (about 4 balls at a time) to roll balls in sugar to coat. Place balls about 2-inches apart, in staggered rows of 3-2-3-2-3, on a large ungreased cookie sheet.
- Place one baking sheet at a time onto center rack of preheated 375 degree F oven. Bake until just starting to turn light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet if needed for even baking. Do not over-bake. Remove from the oven and immediately place one chocolate kiss onto the center of each cookie, pressing down firmly (cookie will crack slightly around edges). Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cookies freeze well.
- Makes about 48 cookies.
Pulling cookies from the oven at precisely the right moment dictates whether the final texture remains soft or turns crumbly. Peanut butter dough absorbs heat rapidly due to its high fat content, meaning visual indicators matter far more than rigid clock-watching. Set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and position the rack directly in the middle to ensure even heat circulation across the sheet.
Reading Visual Doneness Cues
Watch the edges of the dough rather than the centers. When the perimeters just begin to shift into a pale golden hue, remove the pan immediately, typically taking 8 to 10 minutes. Pressing the chocolate kiss into the center right out of the oven causes the edges to crack slightly, which confirms the interior retained enough moisture to set properly as it cools. Cool the batches completely on a wire rack before transferring them to storage.
- Store baked goods in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Freeze surplus baked goods for longer storage periods without losing structural integrity.
- Roll dough portions in granulated sugar using a shallow dish to coat evenly before baking.
