Peanut Butter Blossoms

Anyone who knows me well knows that peanut butter blossoms are my favorite Christmas cookie. My mom made them for every Christmas Eve growing up and passed the tradition along to me and my little sister. Before developing my own, I only used her recipe, which calls for shortening instead of butter. I’ll cherish it forever, but I'm proud to say that I'm extremely happy with my all-butter version too (and so was the whole Delish team). They’re chewy on the inside, perfectly crispy on the outside, and topped with the slightly softened Hershey’s kisses (AKA: perfection in every bite).

Whether these are your favorite treat to gift around the holidays or you’re looking to try your hand at the simple dessert, this best-ever recipe will perfect the classic cookie. Keep reading on for everything you need to know:

What People Are Saying:
“These were so easy to make and turned out great! 8 minutes was the perfect time for baking.” - hh5501

“I'm a big baker but never made these until now for a fundraiser. Picture perfect and delicious!” - PurplePopsicle

How To Make Peanut Butter Blossoms

INGREDIENTS

• Flour: If your cookies seem dry, the amount of flour could be the culprit. Make sure you’re measuring your all-purpose flour exactly, and not adding more than you need.
• Butter: Straying from my mom’s recipe, I decided to use all-butter in this recipe which results in extremely moist cookies. The softened butter creates the perfect amount of moisture in our cookies, but you can also use shortening if you prefer extra soft cookies.
• Peanut Butter: For these cookies, don't use the natural stuff that you need to refrigerate. Use the super creamy kind—preferably the kind that comes in a teal blue jar and rhymes with hippie.
• Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: A mixture of brown sugar and granulated sugar makes these cookies just sweet enough, and adds that touch of molasses flavor.
• Milk: Similar to the flour, if your cookie dough seems overly dry, you might need more liquid. Add the amount I call for, but if you’ve added too much flour and your cookie dough seems dry, then add a little bit more milk at a time.
• Vanilla Extract: A little bit of pure vanilla extract rounds out these cookies and adds a sweet, floral flavor.
• Hershey's Kisses: Plain milk chocolate Hershey’s Kisses are the classic here, but you can get creative with your favorite variation if you want.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

After preheating your oven to 375°, line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Then start on your dough. To a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt until combined. In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and softened butter, and beat together using a handheld mixer. Once smooth, add the sugars and beat until the mixture becomes light in color and fluffy.

Beat in the egg, then add the milk and vanilla and mix until just combined.

Once combined, gradually add the flour mixture (don’t be tempted to throw it all in at once). Beat on low speed until the dough is just combined—don’t overdo it.

Using your hands, roll 2 Tbsp. cookie dough into a ball, then roll in the reserved granulated sugar. Repeat with all the remaining dough, placing them on a baking sheet as you finish them up. Make sure you space them at least 2" apart so that they don’t mix together.

Bake until the cookies have puffed up, 8 to 10 minutes. Don’t watch for color, as these cookies won’t brown very much. Once done, immediately top with the Hershey's Kisses. I recommend unwrapping your Hershey’s kisses before doing anything. Since the cookies hardly take any time to bake, you need to top them ASAP if you want the candies to stay on. Once they’re all topped and have cooled slightly, serve immediately!

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• How to prevent dry peanut butter blossoms: If your cookies seem dry, it could be because of two culprits: the amount of flour (and liquid), and your bake times.
• How long should I cook peanut butter blossoms? The cook time is crucial here if you want to nail soft, moist cookies. These cookies won’t change drastically in color, so don’t overbake expecting them to darken. Trust us—these only need 8 minutes in the oven, 10 maximum. The bottoms will not brown, and the cookies will set up as they cool at room temperature.
  

Storage & Freezing

If you have any leftover cookies, they will last for 2 to 3 days at room temperature, but their texture is best the day you bake them. Freezing them and storing them in an air-tight container or resealable plastic bag is the best way to make them ahead of time.