• In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer, cream butter (including peanut butter) and sugars together until light and fluffy. 
• Add egg, and then the vanilla. Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour. Do not overmix. 
• Chill dough for at least an hour. 
• When you are ready to bake preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
• Remove dough from fridge and roll into balls. I make little golf balls around 2 inches in diameter.  You can make them as big or as small as you would like.
• Spread a thin layer of granulated or raw sugar on a plate and roll each dough ball to evenly coat (if desired).  I usually do this and my husband always skips this step.
• These cookies spread so be sure to space them out on your cookie sheet.  I usually use parchment paper on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes, on your middle rack, if your cookie balls are about 2 inches wide.  Leave cookies on your baking sheet for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool.
• No matter what size you decide to make your cookie balls, you will know when they are done because the tops will crack and you might notice a little brown around the edges. That is time to take them out of the oven.  These cookies will look undone, but will firm up as they cool. Do not over bake them.    
• These cookies will stay fresh and soft in an airtight container for up to 5 or 6 days and freeze beautifully.

After Baking Options

• After Baking Options

  chocolate KISS candies

  chocolate peanut butter cups

  chocolate covered caramels
• Bake your cookies until the edges start to turn a light golden brown color.
• A little trick is to press a peanut butter cup into the center or chocolate kisses as soon as the cookies come out of the oven and then right into your freezer.
• As soon as you remove your cookies from the oven you need to press one chocolate KISS candy, peanut butter cup, chocolate covered caramel or whatever candy you decide to include, right into the center of each cookie. 
• Don't be concerned but your cookie might crack around the edges a little bit when pressing your treat into the middle of each freshly baked, right out of the oven, peanut butter cookie.
• Transfer cookies from baking sheet to wire rack and allow your cookies to cool completely.
• If using chocolate kisses these cookies are commonly known as kiss cookies or blossoms. They're quite popular and an oh so tasty kind of good.
• I don't generally recommend adding chopped up peanut butter cups because they just melt and get really messy. Messy in a delicious way but messy.