Hershey Kiss Cookie

posted in Sweets by Kathy Maister
Difficulty:

In 1957, Freda Smith from Gibsonburg, Ohio pressed a Hershey Kiss into a peanut butter cookie and history was made! This cookie did not win the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off contest, but it become a huge star in the cookie world!

Peanut Blossom is the official title of this classic cookie but it goes by lots of different names including Peanut Butter Kiss Cookie and Hershey Kiss Cookie to name just a few.

The Chocolate Kiss comes wrapped in silver foil which needs to get removed.

Some of the basic ingredients needed to make the cookie (shown below) may already be in your kitchen -

milk
salt
granulated sugar
eggs
(creamy) peanut butter

The “baking specific” ingredients (shown below) are –

light brown sugar
vanilla extract
white all-purpose flour
baking soda
Crisco

(Crisco is a vegetable shortening. Be sure to buy the one with zero “trans fats”).

Let’s startcooking!

Measure:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose white flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt

and put these ingredients in a medium bowl.

Using a whisk, gently whisk these ingredients together and then set the bowl aside for the moment.

Measure out, using dry measuring cups,

1/2 cup of shortening and
3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter

Put the shortening and peanut butter into a large mixing bowl and, with an electric hand mixer, mix until well blended.

Add 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and…

…1/3 cup of lightly packed light brown sugar.

Beat these ingredients together until everything is light and fluffy

Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Crack one egg into a small bowl. Check to see that there are no shell pieces and then add the egg to the mixing bowl.

Add 2 Tablespoons of milk and…

…1 teaspoon of vanilla extract…

…blend everything together…

…really well…

…making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, start adding the flour to the mixing bowl.

Beat well after each addition.

The batter will become very stiff.

Now we’re going to roll the batter into balls to make the cookies.

This recipe will make approximately 48 cookies. For the cookies to bake evenly, they all need to be the same size. It helps to put all the batter onto a plate and divide the batter into four parts.

Then divide each part into fours again.

You should now be able to get three cookies from each section.

Roll the cookies into uniform balls…

…and roll the balls into some granulated sugar.

Place the balls on a cookie sheet. (You will have to do this in two batches. The cookie sheet must to totally cool before adding the second batch of cookies.)

Bake the cookies in a pre-heated 375 F. degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

As soon as you remove the tray from the oven, press an unwrapped chocolate kiss into the top of each cookie. The sides of the cookie will crack slightly.

(GREAT TIP from Natalie in the comment section - "While you make the dough and roll them into balls, press a Hershey in each cookie and then remove them so when you bake it there will be no cracks in your cookies.")

Then with a flat spatula, remove the cookies from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack.

It will take a couple of hours for the chocolate kiss to become totally firm again. Then you can store these cookies in an air-tight tin, between sheets of wax paper, at room temperature. Be sure they are the cookies are totally cooled before storing them. If they do begin to dry out, place a slice of bread on a sheet of waxed paper and put it inside the air tight container. Replace the slice of bread as needed.

Enjoy!

You can view and print this recipe here.

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28 comments

Stephanie

I love these cookies, but I hardly ever bake them. Seeing this post has me craving them now, so I'll probably bake a batch this evening!

Kathy Maister

Hi Stephanie!
These cookies bring back such great memories! I do hope you enjoy startcooking.com version of this great classic.
Cheers,
Kathy

Stefani

I love making these cookies! I usually make them at Christmas time for Christmas gifts for those with a sweet tooth! Awesome pictures...

Jessica

Hello Stefani,

Glad you like the recipe. There's no harm getting in the Christmas spirit a little early ....

Jessica
Startcooking.com

Martha McKinnon

I love this cookie. My mom has been baking it for Christmas for as long as I can remember. I love your step-by-step instructions and pictures for the novice baker!

Warmly,
Martha

Natalie

These cookies are very Delicious !
One tip though While you make the dough and roll them into balls, press a Hershey in each cookie and then remove them so when you bake it there will be no cracks in your cookies :) Good luck on baking !

Kathy Maister

Thanks Martha!

Best Ever Cookie Recipes looks like a fantastic resource for every type of cookie imaginable!

Natalie, that sounds like a great tip! I'll have to give it a try next time I make these cookies. Thanks!

Cheers,
Kathy

saadia

Can I follow this recipe without the peanut butter? Someone made the cookies and gave me some as a gift and when I tried it I fell in LOVE so I have been looking for a recipe all morning!!!! But the cookie didn't taste like it had peanut butter in it.... any help to a beginner would be appreciated!

Kathy Maister

Saadia, I have been searching for what would be a good substitute for peanut butter and have not come up with a good solution. The peanut butter not only adds taste but it also affects the texture of this cookie. If you are not allergic to nuts, why not give PB a try? You may discover you like it after all!

Martha McKinnon

Saadia,

Peanut butter blossoms are basically thumbprint cookies with peanut butter replacing the butter and a hershey's kiss replacing the jam.

If you don't want to use peanut butter, use butter instead. You may need 1 - 2 extra tablespoons of flour too to make the dough stiff enough to roll.

Or find a thumbprint cookie recipe that looks good to you, make them as directed, except press in the kiss when they come out of the oven instead of filling with jam.

Hope this helps!

Martha

Kathy Maister

Thanks Martha!

Saadia, Martha is a cookie expert and if she says it will work, then go for it!

At startcooking.com I hesitate to give substitutions that I have not yet tried. Many of my readers at startcooking.com may well have never (ever!) made cookies from scratch. For a beginner it really is important to stick to the recipe, at least for the first try, and then start creating!

Cheers!

Saadia

Kathy and Martha!!!!

THANK YOU to both of you for your help. I have decided I am going to make the P&B kind and the kind that Martha suggested :)

Cooking/Baking is such a wonderful world!

Thank you both very much!

Saadia

Martha McKinnon

Kathy,

You make such a wonderful point about the importance of following recipes - and even then with baking individual results can be so different, depending on the types of ingredients used, ways ingredients are measured, quality of cookie sheets, accurateness of oven temperature, etc!

I just recently learned that the protein content of flour can vary significantly, even from bag to bag, which can have a huge impact on the amount cookies spread while baking.

There is only one way to become a cook/baker - and that is to do it, learn from your mistakes, and move on. Most experienced cooks could fill a book with their cooking disasters!

I love what you are doing here to help others develop kitchen confidence :-)

Kathy Maister

I think that's why most people are intimidated to try baking because there are indeed so many more variables then when cooking a savory dish.

I had no idea about the fluctuations in protein in flour!
Learning the "feel" of baking does involve practice, practice, and more practice!

For the new cook, mastering Chicken Noodle Soup may well be a better first step.

Zoe

Hi Kathy. I showed my mom these this morning. She wanted to know if she can substitute the eggs and peanut butter due to my allergies (I am allergic to all nuts including peanut butter and eggs). They look delicious and I really want to eat them!

jenn

Hi kathy,
I'm wondering if using oil instead of shortening will affect the cookies? It seems like a healthier alternative.
Thanks,
Jenn

Abimael

I would love to make this but I'd just eat the batter

Kathy Maister

Zoe and Jen, I'm afraid you are both going to have to find a different recipe. Here at startcooking.com I do not recommend substitutions unless I have thoroughly tested the substitution that is.

Abimael, when my sister comes to visit I always make her my Chocolate Chip Cookies but never cook them! I keep the dough rolled into balls in the freezer and she just eats the uncooked cookies! (Truth be told, I do too!!!!) BUT...OFFICIALLY YOU SHOULD NEVER EAT RAW DOUGH!

Sabrina

I have always wanted to know how to make these cookies!

startcooking

Hi Sabrina,
These cookies are always a huge hit!
Enjoy!
Kathy

murine

I tried the Hershey thumprint recipe tonight using canola oil instead of Crisco and the results weren't good. The batter was very crumbly ... as were the finished cookies. So just wanted to let those know who are considering substituting for Crisco that the batter just doesn't turn out as well.

startcooking

Thanks Murine for sharing. Substitutions are really tricky. Substituting a solid for a liquid will surly change the final texture of these cookies.
Sorry they did not turn out as expected.
Good luck next time!

KIM

can you make these with out peanutbutter? my son is allergic!

startcooking

As Martha McKinnon said above:

"eanut butter blossoms are basically thumbprint cookies with peanut butter replacing the butter and a Hershey's kiss replacing the jam.

If you don't want to use peanut butter, use butter instead. You may need 1 - 2 extra tablespoons of flour too to make the dough stiff enough to roll.

Or find a thumbprint cookie recipe that looks good to you, make them as directed, except press in the kiss when they come out of the oven instead of filling with jam."

Cheers,

Kathy

Mandy

I've made dozens and dozens of cookie recipes, but for some reason, this one is my favorite. I have to be careful or I eat them al!!:) Thanks for sharing & Happy New Year!

-Mandy

Maria

Hi Kathy!

Now i'm a teenager so i get easily bored but i recently started searching for recipes and realized that i LOVE cooking and baking.....well actually mostly baking! Anyways i found your website: and adored the recipes (wich are very easy to follow because you explain the instructions so well!!) and videos! So keep up the good work and I will definitely try this yummy-looking recipe!

startcooking

Thanks Maria! I wish you the best of luck developing your cooking and baking skills!
Cheers,
Kathy

Patty

Wow! I know what I am making tomorrow night! Thanks for sharing and these look great!

Patty

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