A Hershey’s Kiss Cookie is one of those things in life where we take simple things, add them together, and the sum of their parts is bigger and more tasty than we’d thought. We all have made this cookie, and possibly all have our favorite version, but we here at Sweet Mac Shop thought you’d like ours. We take a simple peanut butter cookie, roll it in some sugar, press in a Hershey’s Kiss when the cookie is just out of the oven, and it’s a winner. This is my favorite Hershey’s Kiss Cookies recipe out there!
The Best Hershey’s Kiss Cookies Recipe
We’ve been making them in our families for many years, and this recipe was handed down to me from my mother (did you know that she has a blog!?), who got it from her mother. Can there be any easier way to make the house smell the best, have the children gather round to help press in the chocolate, and put smiles on faces? We think not.
Hershey’s Kiss Cookies Tips and Tricks
Here are a few of my tips and tricks to make the most amazing Hershey’s Kiss Cookies!
1. Use Smooth or Crunchy Peanut Butter
Depending on what you like, you can use smooth or crunchy peanut butter. The photos below are with smooth, but the crunchy provides additional texture if your crowd likes nuts.
2. Easily Double this Recipe
This Hershey’s Kiss Cookie recipe can be doubled. Use a tablespoon-sized ball of dough (size of a walnut–no larger!). More dough always tempts you to make bigger cookies, but don’t!
3. Pour Some Sugar on Me
Dump 1-2 cups of white sugar into a sturdy bag, then drop a few of the dough balls into the bag; shake until covered. No more tedious rolling in a bowl with a spoon
4. Unwrap First
Unwrap the Hershey’s Kisses and put them into a bowl. Don’t wait to unwrap them! Then when you pull out the baking sheet of cooked cookies, press an unwrapped chocolate kiss into the middle of each cookie, creating an indent. THEN, using a spatula, move them over to your rack to cool.
5. Be Patient!
Let cookies cool all the way before packing them away. They take a good long time, but you can sneak one early: We like to smush the melty chocolate kiss all over the top of the cookie and eat them this way.
Favorite Cookie Recipes
Here are a few of my very favorite (non-macaron!) cookie recipes on my blog.
Hershey Kiss Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cups sugar (for rolling)
- 1 bag Hershey Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
- In stand mixer with paddle attachment mix together peanut butter, shortening, both sugars. Mix well, until it is a bit lighter in color.
- Add egg, milk and extract. Mix again until the ingredients are well incorporated and mixture looks a bit creamy.
- Combine dry ingredients together in separate bowl. Whisk to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients into mixer, stirring until combined.
- Roll into teaspoon size balls and roll into sugar.
- Place cookie balls on baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes or just until they crack. DO NOT over bake. While cookies are baking unwrap Hershey Kisses and have them ready in a bowl.
- As soon as cookies come out of the oven, before moving them to a cooling rack, push a hershey kiss into the middle. After finishing that, move to a cooling rack. Let stand until kiss is completely cooled. If you try to package them while the kiss is cooling you will have a melted mess.
This recipe takes me back to my childhood. I know what I’m making this weekend! Thank you for the reminder. 🙂
Same! My mom made it every holiday!