Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms

After — always after. Press the Kiss into each cookie the moment the pan comes out of the oven, within about 10 seconds. A Kiss put into raw or partially-baked dough will melt completely and lose its shape. Pressed into a just-baked, still-hot cookie, the Kiss base softens slightly from the residual heat and bonds to the dough without melting through. The window is tight: wait more than 30 seconds and the cookie firms up enough that pressing the Kiss in can crack it apart rather than crack it outward in the blossom pattern. Work pan by pan — pull one sheet from the oven, press all 12 Kisses, then pull the next sheet.

Because you're pressing a hard object into a hot, freshly set cookie that still has enough residual heat to yield. The dough around the center is soft and pliable for about 20–30 seconds after it comes out of the oven. Pressing the Kiss straight down displaces the soft center dough outward, and because the edges of the cookie have already set slightly more than the center, that displaced dough fractures at the boundary between soft and set. The radial cracks are what give the cookie its 'blossom' shape — they're the design, not a flaw. If your cookies aren't cracking, they're either over-baked (too firm throughout) or you're waiting too long after pulling them from the oven.

Yes, and most home bakers now do. Butter (½ cup / 113g, softened to room temperature) produces cookies with slightly crispier edges, a flatter profile, and a richer buttery flavor. Shortening (the original Crisco-type) produces a slightly puffier, more tender, more uniform cookie with a clean peanut butter flavor that isn't complicated by dairy. The texture difference is real but subtle — both versions hold the Kiss well and produce the blossom crack. If you substitute butter, make sure it's genuinely softened (about 68°F, leaving a slight fingerprint when pressed) rather than melted; melted butter will spread the cookies too thin.

Not recommended. Natural peanut butter (just peanuts + salt, with the oil floating on top) has a different fat ratio, higher moisture content, and no added emulsifiers — the cookies tend to spread unevenly, bake up greasy, and crumble around the Kiss rather than cracking cleanly. Conventional creamy peanut butter (Jif, Skippy, Peter Pan) contains added stabilizers that keep the fat emulsified and give the dough its consistent, slightly stiff texture. Jif is the most commonly recommended brand for baking; it has a slightly sweeter flavor that works well in cookie dough. If you only have natural PB, stir it extremely well until fully incorporated before measuring and expect the texture to be slightly less predictable.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container with layers separated by wax paper or parchment to prevent the Kisses from sticking together. They keep 5–7 days at room temperature. To ship or gift them: let the cookies cool completely (the Kisses need at least 1 hour to re-harden after pressing), pack in a single layer in a tin or gift box, and cushion with parchment so the Kisses don't knock against each other. They travel well for 2-day shipping. For longer storage, freeze: place fully cooled cookies on a sheet pan until the Kisses are solid (about 2 hours), then pack in a zip-lock bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Yes — freezing unbaked dough balls is one of the best strategies for the holidays. Roll the dough balls and coat them in sugar, then place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze until solid (about 2 hours). Transfer to a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen: place directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (no thawing needed) and bake at 375°F for 11–12 minutes instead of the usual 8–10. The cookies may not crack as dramatically around the Kiss when baked from frozen, but they'll still turn out well. Don't freeze the Kisses separately — just have them unwrapped and ready to press in when the frozen dough balls come out of the oven.

The classic is Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses, which matches the original 1957 recipe exactly. Hershey's Special Dark Kisses (45% cacao) give a less-sweet, more sophisticated version that many adults prefer. Hershey's Hugs (white and milk chocolate swirl) add a visual pop and slightly sweeter flavor. For Christmas, Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses (white chocolate with peppermint) turn them into a peppermint-peanut butter cookie that divides opinion but has a devoted following. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures pressed into the center instead of a Kiss create a peanut-on-peanut version that leans into the cookie's base flavor. Avoid any Kisses with a very soft center (like caramel-filled), as pressing them into a hot cookie can cause the filling to ooze.