Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This gives the oven time to reach temperature while you prepare the dough, ensuring even baking from the start. Having your workspace ready before mixing means you can work efficiently without the dough sitting around.

In a medium bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and creamy peanut butter, stirring until well blended. Add the baking mix, vanilla extract, salt, and ground cinnamon, mixing until a thick dough forms. The baking mix acts as both a flour and leavening agent, so don't overmix—just combine until no dry streaks remain. I find that letting the dough rest for a minute after mixing makes it easier to handle when forming balls.

Scoop the dough into 1-tablespoon portions and roll each into a ball using your hands. Place the granulated sugar in a shallow dish and roll each ball in the sugar until lightly coated on all sides. For a more even sugar coating, I like to work with slightly damp hands—it helps the sugar stick without making the dough sticky.

Place the sugar-coated balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Using the tines of a fork, gently press each ball to flatten it into a disk about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft—they'll continue to firm up as they cool.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. If using chocolate kisses, press one gently into the center of each warm cookie—the warmth will help it adhere. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, which typically takes 10-15 minutes.