Ingredients:
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Fine Sea Salt
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar (for rolling)
- 36 to 40 pieces Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions:
- Prep the Components: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Crucially, unwrap all 40 Hershey’s Kisses immediately.
- Cream the Fats: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light, fluffy, and noticeably paler in colour (approx. 3–4 minutes).
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg until just combined, followed by the vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Incorporate Dry Mix: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture on low speed. Mix only until the flour streaks have just disappeared. Do not overmix.
- Chill (Mandatory): Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. (This prevents spreading.)
- Portion and Roll: Place the ¼ cup of rolling sugar in a shallow bowl. Use a small scoop to portion the dough (approx. 1.5 Tbsp per cookie). Roll each portion into a smooth ball.
- Coat and Bake: Roll each dough ball thoroughly in the granulated sugar. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for 10–12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Indent and Set the Kiss: As soon as the cookies exit the oven, while piping hot, use the rounded end of a teaspoon to gently but firmly press an indentation into the centre of each cookie. Immediately press one unwrapped Hershey's Kiss deep into each indentation.
- Cool: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them gently to a wire rack to cool completely. The chocolate needs to firm up to prevent smearing.