Cookie Kisses

Another of holiday stand-by, these are always some of the quickest to go. There are many recipes for these out there; this one is my favorite. It comes from Maida Heatter's Cookies. Her printed version includes variations for food processor and more finicky details than I ever bother with. (Who in the world pre-divides their cookie dough?)

One note about the number of Kisses called for -- I like to make these smaller than the recipe recommends, in order to achieve what I consider the correct balance of cookie to chocolate. Although it's not a large recipe by the ingredients, I have gotten up to 60 cookies from this. Plus, of course, any nearby "helpers" will probably eat a few Kisses before they can be used in a cookie. So have some extra on hand.

Ingredients

48 (or more) Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses, unwrapped
1 3/4 c AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp milk
4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c smooth peanut butter

Additional granulated sugar for rolling the cookies

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. (But see step 6.)
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. 
3. In a small bowl, mix the egg, vanilla, and milk. 
4. Place the butter and peanut butter in a mixer bowl and beat until soft.
5. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the butter mixture, and beat until well combined. 
6. Mix in half of the dry ingredients, then the egg mixture, then the remaining dry ingredients. Beat until thoroughly mixed. 
7. (The recipe does not include this, but I find it helpful to chill the dough a bit before trying to handle it--it can be very sticky. So cover the bowl and chuck it into the fridge for an hour or so if you have the time. Don't leave your oven on the whole time. :) ) 
8. Place additional granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. 
9. Scoop out rounded teaspoons of dough and roll them into balls, roll them in the granulated sugar, and place them on a cookie sheet. Leave a couple of inches between cookies. 
10. Bake 12-13 minutes, until the edges are just showing a bit of color. 
11. Immediately upon removing from the oven, place a chocolate kiss (point up) in the center of each cookie and press down firmly. Then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. The chocolate will stay soft for quite a while, so make sure they are quite cool and solid again before packing them. 

These cookies freeze well. I make a batch early in the holiday season every year and pack them a dozen or so to a freezer bag, and usually have to make another batch later in the month.