A rich, dark chocolate cookie topped with a peppermint candy cane kiss. I dare you to eat just one! These are perfect for all your holiday parties or cookie exchanges.
I love making cookies, especially at Christmas time. I even have some cookies that I only make at Christmas. This is one of them – and that is mainly because it’s the only time of year you can actually buy the Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses. The combination of the rich, dark chocolate and the peppermint kisses is pure perfection!
These cookies never last long at our house, and I can’t blame the kids this time; I eat my fair share too! The bigger problem is keeping the kids from eating all the candy cane Kisses before I can get the cookies made!
This year, I struggled even to find Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses. They are popular, and because they only release them at Christmas time, people buy them up quickly. But I was on a mission. It took running around to 4 different stores, but I found them! I grabbed four bags and danced out of the store! Don’t worry – I left a few bags for the next shopper.
One word of warning: these cookies are addicting! And I am not responsible for any overindulging!
Tips and tricks for these cookies:
- I highly recommend using dark powdered cocoa. It gives these cookies a chocolate richness that is amazing. Regular chocolate cocoa is good but won’t give you the same depth of rich chocolate flavor.
- One of the challenges with any “Kiss” cookies is the candy melting when you put them on hot cookies. I solve this by refrigerating the Kisses before I make the cookies. Having the Kisses chilled first makes a big difference in how they hold up once you put them on the cookie. So, before I even begin making the cookies, I unwrap the Kisses and place them in the refrigerator. Doing this a few hours ahead of time is even better. And remember to put the Kisses back in the refrigerator in-between batches.
- Another trick to help your Kisses hold up with the heat is not adding them to your cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Instead, when you take your cookies out of the oven, allow them to rest for 3-4 minutes on the cookie sheets before adding the Kisses. Then gently press the Kisses into the cookie. If a big crack forms in the cookie, gently press it back together.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- ½ cup unsweetened special dark cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar, for rolling cookies
- candy cane Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped and chilled in the refrigerator
Instructions
- Unwrap the Hershey's Kisses and put them in the refrigerator. (This is to prevent them from melting too much when you put them on hot cookies). Be sure to return them to the refrigerator in between batches.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Prepare your cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a standing mixer, cream together butter and sugars, creaming well.
- Add egg and vanilla, beat well.
- Mix flour, powdered cocoa, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix just until combined. Do not over mix.
- Shape and roll cookies into 1 inch balls. Roll in sugar and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to rest on your cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes. This allows them to cool slightly before adding the Kisses. Next, place a Hershey's Kiss in the center of each cookie, pressing down gently. The cookie should spread out and crack slightly. If needed, press larger cracks back together gently.
- Move cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Wait to add more cookie dough to the baking sheet until the baking sheet has cooled. For a quicker method, run the pan under cool water for a few seconds, dry the pan and continue.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
