These snobby cookies think they are too good for plain, old Hershey’s kisses, and you might agree once you try them. Rich chocolate ganache piped into a fancy star replaces the classic kiss for a jazzy version of a traditional holiday cookie.

The only real problem with the homely Hershey’s kiss peanut butter cookie is that the kiss always falls off or is too difficult to bite into. Inevitably I have to eat the kiss and the cookie separately. This is always very disappointing for two reasons. First, I end up missing the beauty that is chocolate and peanut butter dancing together in their perfect embrace, which is the whole point of the cookie in my opinion. Second, the chocolate kiss takes the spotlight for a couple bites, and the chocolate snob in me thinks, “um, we can do better than that” (sorry, all you Hershey’s fans out there).

Thus, my snobby peanut butter kiss cookies were born. The ganache is an extra step, but it’s only two ingredients and a new technique to add to your culinary repertoire. And the way that the tender ganache melts softly into the cookie as you bite into it makes the additional effort completely worth it. After all, kisses really ought to be soft.

Equipment:

• Stand mixer or hand held mixer

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 4oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (or sunbutter for a nut free version)

• 1/2 cup sugar, plus more for coating the cookies

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 TBSP. milk

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 8oz. good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

• 4oz. heavy whipping cream

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, use a fork to mix the flour, soda, and salt.

2. With the stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter, sugars, and peanut butter together. Once the mixture is fluffy and fully incorporated, add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix again, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

3. Once the batter is smooth and consistent, add the flour mixture in two or three pours, mixing after each addition. Mix just until all the flour is incorporated and no lumps remain. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

4. Preheat the oven to 375º F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the dough and shape into about 22 balls. Each ball shoul;d be about 1 inch in diameter. Roll each ball in sugar to coat, and place them evenly apart on the two cookie sheets (there should be 11 cookies on each sheet).

6. Bake for 2 minutes, and then remove the cookies from the oven. Careful not to burn yourself on the hot pan, use the tines of a fork to press firmly down, first horizontally and then vertically, on each cookie. This will make a distinctive lattice pattern on the cookies, and it will also flatten the cookies, so they can spread properly in the oven.

7. Return to the oven and bake 5-7 minutes longer, or until the cookies are slightly browned, have puffed and spread, and are cracked a bit on the edges.

8. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

9. Make the ganache. Finely chop or even grate the chocolate and place it in a medium sized glass bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just boiling. Stir the cream consistently while it heats to avoid burning. You’ll know it’s ready when the cream is bubbling in the middle as well as the sides of the pan and when you can see steam coming off the surface. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Then stir the cream and chocolate until the ganache is smooth, and all the chocolate is completely melted. (TIP: if the chocolate does not completely melt, do not panic. Just put the ganache in a double boiler and heat it over gently simmering water. Stir the entire time, and as soon as all the chocolate is melted, take it off the heat).

10. Allow the ganache to cool for 45 minutes - 2 hours, until it’s a thick enough consistency to pipe. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip (I used Wilton 21), and twist off the end of the bag. Pipe a star kiss on each cookie by holding the tip close to the cookie and squeezing. Squeeze until the diameter of the kiss is to your liking and then gently pull up while simultaneously decreasing your squeeze pressure. This sounds complicated, but it is really quite simple. If you’re nervous, practice your kisses a few times on a piece of parchment paper. Allow the ganache to set completely before serving.

Note: Depending on the size of your kisses, you may have leftover ganache. Do not throw it away! Simply pipe more kisses on parchment paper and store in the refrigerator until set. These make fantastic and pretty little truffles.

Peanut butter cookie recipe adapted from the New York Times.

For more information and excellent tips on making ganache check out Sugar Geek Show.