Peanut butter cookies are always a fan favorite! These little blossoms have a character all their own and are worth the effort to make. They're like the other types of thumbprint cookies only peanutty!
- 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 stick of 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
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Set aside.
- Place the softened butter, peanut butter, and sugars in a medium bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer).
- With a hand mixer (or stand mixer with a paddle attachment), beat until creamy and light, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well to combine.
- Add the flour mixture in 3-4 batches, mixing on low to combine completely in between each addition.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the sugar that you plan to use (granulated or sanding sugar) on a small plate.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Scoop rounded balls of dough (about 1 ½ tablespoons each) and place them on a cutting board.
- Grease your hands and roll the scoops into balls.
- Roll each ball in the sugar of your choice.
- Divide the balls between the two baking sheets.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, just until the bottom edges look light brown, rotating the trays from top to bottom oven racks, halfway 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.
[Unwrap all of your chocolate kiss candies while your cookies bake, so you can make fast work of getting the chocolates into the soft, but quickly cooling cookie.]