Mrs. F's Peanut Butter Kisses

These peanut butter kisses, sometimes called blossoms, are a holiday cookie-tray standard for good reason. The cookies bake up soft and slightly chewy with that telltale crackly sugar crust, and a chocolate kiss pressed into each warm cookie creates the signature flower shape as it softens.

The two-stage bake is what gives you that pretty cracked-around-the-kiss look. Eight minutes solo to set the edges, then the kiss goes on and back in the oven so it warms just enough to soften without melting into a puddle.

Rolling each ball in plain sugar before baking is non-optional. That coating crisps in the oven and gives the cookie its sparkle and faint crackle, both visually and texturally.

Pro Tips

• Unwrap all the chocolate kisses before you start baking, fumbling with foil while a hot sheet sits on the counter melts the cookies’ edges into the sugar coating.
• Use creamy peanut butter, not natural or chunky, the stabilized fat content matters for the dough’s structure and the cookies’ shape.
• Let the kisses sit on top undisturbed once placed, sliding a finger across them while warm leaves fingerprints that won’t smooth out.
• Cool fully on the rack before stacking, the kiss centers stay soft for hours and will smear if pressed.

Variations

• Swap the chocolate kiss for a Rolo or peanut butter cup for a different center.
• Roll the dough balls in colored sanding sugar instead of plain for holiday or party versions.
• Add a half cup of finely chopped salted peanuts to the dough for extra peanut crunch.