1-Step 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients Start by whisking together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. This step ensures your leavening agent and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which prevents any bitter spots in your finished cookies. Set this mixture aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.

2-Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars In a large bowl, beat the softened butter on high speed for 1 minute until creamy and smooth. Add the brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar, then continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes. This creaming process creates tiny air pockets in the butter, which helps give your cookies their tender texture.

3-Step 3: Add Egg and Flavorings Add the room temperature egg to your butter mixture and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything incorporates evenly. Next, add the peanut butter and vanilla extract, beating until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous. The dough will start to come together at this stage and smell absolutely wonderful.

4-Step 4: Incorporate the Dry Ingredients Add the flour mixture to your wet ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. This will result in a soft, cohesive dough. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten in the flour and lead to tough cookies. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

5-Step 5: Chill the Dough Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days. This step is crucial for several reasons: it firms up the dough for easier handling, prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking, and allows the flavors to develop more fully. The dough can also be portioned into balls before chilling if you prefer.

6-Step 6: Shape and Coat the Cookies When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Roll the chilled dough into balls using about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough per cookie. Roll each ball in granulated sugar or colored sanding sugar for a festive sparkle, then place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart to allow for spreading.

7-Step 7: Bake to Perfection Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes until the tops are slightly crackled and the edges are just beginning to set. The cookies should still look slightly underdone in the centers when you remove them from the oven, as they’ll continue to firm up as they cool.

8-Step 8: Add the Chocolate Kisses Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. This brief cooling period is important because if you press the chocolate kisses into piping hot cookies, they’ll melt and lose their shape. Once the cookies have cooled slightly but are still warm, gently press one unwrapped chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Apply gentle pressure until the kiss is seated about halfway into the cookie.

9-Step 9: Set the Chocolate Transfer the cookies gently to plates or a cooling rack and place them in the freezer for 10 minutes to set the chocolate. This quick freeze ensures the kisses hold their shape and don’t continue to soften from the residual heat of the cookies. After freezing, your Peanut Butter Blossoms are ready to serve!