The Time Peanut Butter Blossoms Saved My Holiday

I’ll admit it: Peanut Butter Blossoms have saved my hide more than once. Think dizzy pre-holiday evenings, kids weaving around like mad, and me – flour in my hair, chocolate smeared on my sleeve (not by design). These cookies? They’re my 911 dessert — classic, no-nonsense, but with that chocolate-peanut butter combo that ~actually~ gets people hovering awkwardly around the cookie tray. My mom made them for every bake sale, and I swear, those Hershey’s Kisses poking out like little edible hats just make ’em feel so, I dunno, cheerful. Oh, there was one year the dog ate an entire cooling rack. It wasn’t funny then, but we all laugh now.

Why I Keep Coming Back to These

I make Peanut Butter Blossoms when I need something quick, or when my sweet tooth refuses to be ignored (looking at you, Tuesday nights). My family goes bonkers for them—probably because they get to unwrap the Kisses (and sneak a few, cheeky devils). Sometimes, when I’m out of Hershey’s, I just pop whatever chocolate I have on top – and, honestly, it’s never caused a riot yet. They’re the first gone at every gathering. Plus, they’ve pulled me out of a cookie-swap bind or two, especially that year someone brought kale brownies. Why, Carol?

What You Need (and a Few Cheeky Swaps)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (I use salted if that’s all I’ve got – just skip the pinch of salt then)
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (my grandmother always swore by Jif, but store brand hasn’t failed me yet)
1/3 cup granulated sugar (plus another handful for rolling – just eyeball it, really)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg (room temperature unless you forgot, like I usually do)
2 tbsp milk (full-fat, low-fat, whatever’s in the fridge)
1 tsp vanilla extract (the real stuff is best, but the fake kind won’t bite you)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I did fancy it up with whole wheat once… meh)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (skip if your PB or butter already has salt)
About 24 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped (or use Rolo, Reese’s Minis, or even a square of chocolate if you’re desperate)

How I Actually Make Peanut Butter Blossoms

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). I always forget this step and end up waiting around — just get it going so you don’t have to scroll memes while you wait.
Cream the butter and peanut butter together in a bowl until it’s creamy. Electric mixer? Great. Strong spoon and arm? Also fine (may result in Hulk cookies if you overdo it).
Mix in the sugars until well blended. At this point, I usually taste a little. Quality control, you know?
Add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix until just combined. If it looks a little rough, don’t stress. Works out in the wash, as my gran used to say.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Or just sprinkle them straight in if you’re less fancy; I have and it’s never caused hazmat.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a bit at a time, until the dough pulls together. It’s gonna be sticky. Don’t panic—it’s supposed to be.
Shape dough into little balls (about 1 inch; I actually use a heaping teaspoon and just eyeball it). Roll those in granulated sugar. Try not to eat too many as you go.
Arrange the balls on a cookie sheet, spacing them out. (If you didn’t line with parchment, that’s also ok—just means a chisel might be needed later. Joking! Sort of.)
Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cracked but still pretty soft in the center. Don’t worry if they look a little pale.
While they’re still warm, press a Kiss into the top of each. Yes, they’ll squish and maybe split — that’s normal, don’t overthink it.
Cool on the sheet for a few minutes (or transfer right away if you’re impatient, but be careful; those Kisses are napalm hot at first!)

Notes I Wrote on a Post-It Once

If the dough seems wayyy too sticky, a quick nap in the fridge settles it (like, 20 minutes tops).
I put a bit less sugar on the outside sometimes — once I ran out entirely and just skipped it. Still good, though a tad less sparkly.
If the cookies really flatten out, your butter was probably too soft/apologetically melty. Next time, fridge it a few minutes.

Variations I’ve Actually Tried

So, I swapped out the Kisses for mini peanut butter cups once…oh man, that rocked. Salted caramel Kisses go down a treat too, if you find ‘em. I tried stuffing the dough with Nutella once, but…honestly, it kind of turned into a sticky lava situation (not my finest hour). If you’re feeling chipper, a sprinkle of flaky salt on top is *chef’s kiss*… or so my sister tells me. Oh, and someone once suggested using almond butter in place of peanut but I thought it tasted a bit, well, health-food-ish.

Stuff You’ll Probably Want (But You Can Wing It)

Baking sheets (I use the warped one and it’s fine – you just end up with a few slanted cookies)
Parchment paper or a silicone mat if you’re fancy. Or butter the tray – just don’t skimp or you’ll need an ice scraper afterward.
Hand or stand mixer is nice, but I’ve got by with a wooden spoon and a stubborn streak.
A cooling rack if you’ve got it; otherwise, a baking sheet flipped upside down in a pinch does the job

How Long They’ll Last (But They Never Do)

Kept in an airtight container, they’ll last 3-4 days— in theory. In my house, they vanish overnight (I suspect teens, but could also be me, midnight-style). They also freeze like champions; just leave off the Kisses and add ‘em after thawing if you want to get all pro about it. Or eat ’em straight form the freezer (guilty!).

All the Ways We Serve ‘Em

There’s straight-up, in a heap, which is how my brother prefers. Sometimes, we sandwich two around a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Highly recommend for summer BBQs—or just, you know, Tuesday nights that could use a boost. Christmas Eve tradition? We leave a pile for Santa. He’s never complained.

Lessons Learned (Sometimes the Hard Way)

Once, I tried to rush the cookie assembly – plopped on the Kisses before the cookies set even a little. Ended up with a lot of very molten chocolate (don’t be me).
I also tried baking two sheets at once. Top shelf came out just dandy, bottom was… let’s say, very caramelized. One at a time, if you can swing it.
Oven calibrations can be sneaky. My last batch took 11 minutes, so poke at a test cookie if you’re not sure.

The FAQ I Actually Get (And a Digression About Peanut Soup)

Can I make these without a mixer?
Yep! Take it slow with a sturdy spoon – your arm will get a mini workout, but you’ll live. Or rope in the kids for that part. By the way, did you know there’s such a thing as peanut soup? I stumbled on it here – haven’t tried it yet, but whoa, peanuts sure get around.

Can I freeze the dough?
Sure can. I just roll the balls, freeze ‘em, then bake straight from frozen (maybe add a minute or two). Want more on freezer prep? This guide got me started.

What if I don’t have Kisses?
I mean, it won’t technically be a Blossom, but chocolate chips or a broken up bar are more than good enough. The spirit’s what counts.

Can I make it gluten-free?
Probably—the commercial GF flour blends work decently (a friend did this, was happy with results). Honestly, I don’t bake gluten-free enough to have a gold standard, so your mileage may vary.

Why are mine flat?
Butter too soft, maybe. Or oven too hot. Actually, sometimes it’s just the day—some days, baking goes sideways for no reason at all.

Are these better the next day?
I think so. Flavors meld, cookies get a bit chewy. But fresh-warm is pretty unbeatable, too.

Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe