Preheat the Oven: Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Unwrap the Chocolate Kisses: Start unwrapping all 48 Hershey’s Kisses. (If you accidentally snack on one, no judgment! Just unwrap a few more.)
Mix Peanut Butter & Shortening: In a bowl, mix together the shortening and peanut butter until well blended.
Add Sugars & Beat: Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and beat until fluffy.
Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, and continue to mix until smooth.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this mixture to the peanut butter mixture until everything is well combined.
Shape the Dough: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in a medium-sized bowl of granulated sugar to coat.
Bake: Place the dough balls on a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. (Check at 8 minutes to be sure! You might want to rotate the cookie sheet if your oven doesn’t bake evenly.)
Add the Kisses: When you remove the cookies from the oven, gently press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie. Don’t press too hard, as the cookies will crack, but that’s what makes them beautiful!
Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack until you can’t wait any longer… or they cool off!