These classic peanut butter cookies are soft and chewy with lightly crisp, sugar-coated edges and a chocolate kiss pressed into the center. A longtime favorite for holiday cookie trays, they’re just as good any time of year.
Yield: About 48 cookies
Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes per batch
Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes per batch
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
- ½ cup peanut butter (130 grams)
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar (182 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (56 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (210 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, for rolling
- 48 chocolate kisses, unwrapped
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy.
- Add the flour and baking soda in 2–3 additions, mixing just until combined.
- Portion the dough into balls weighing approximately 15 grams each.
- Roll each ball in the 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and arrange about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 9 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately press one chocolate kiss gently into the center of each cookie.
- Allow the cookies to cool briefly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Denver High-Altitude Adjustments (5,280 feet):
- Reduce the baking soda from 1 teaspoon to ¾ teaspoon.
- Keep the flour at 210 grams (1¾ cups) for the first batch.
- Add 1 tablespoon water to compensate for Denver’s drier conditions.
- Keep the oven at 375°F.
- Begin checking the cookies at 8 minutes. They should be lightly set around the edges but still soft in the center.
- If the first test cookies spread too much, chill the remaining dough for 20–30 minutes before baking. If they still spread excessively, add 1–2 tablespoons flour to the remaining dough.