Description
Delight in these festive Candy Cane Kiss Cookies, a perfect holiday treat combining soft, buttery cookie dough with the refreshing taste of peppermint. These cookies are easy to prepare, baked until just soft, and topped with Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses for a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate and mint experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter (softened)
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1 large Egg Yolk
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Extract (optional)
- 2 2/3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
Topping
- 1 (9-ounce) package Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses (about 50-60 kisses)
Instructions
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together for about 4 minutes or until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract (if using) to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix for an additional 1 minute to combine thoroughly.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Be careful not to overmix to avoid developing gluten that could make the cookies tough.
- Chill Dough (Optional): For easier rolling, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes; this step is optional.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Shape and Decorate Cookies: Roll the dough into small balls. If you choose, roll each ball in sparkling sugar, sprinkles, or nonpareils for added texture and visual appeal. Place each ball on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are still soft in the centers but cooked through.
- Unwrap and Add Candy Cane Kisses: While cookies bake, unwrap all the Candy Cane Kisses. After removing cookies from the oven, wait about 2 minutes before gently pressing one kiss into the center of each cookie.
- Set the Candy (Optional): For best results, refrigerate the cookies for 5 to 10 minutes to help the kisses set firmly onto the cookies.
Notes
- Be careful not to overmix the dough to avoid dense, tough cookies.
- Chilling the dough is optional but can make handling the dough easier and the cookies more uniform.
- Use light-colored baking sheets to prevent over-browning the cookie bottoms.
- Refrigerating after adding the kisses helps the chocolate retain its shape and creates a neat finish.
- These cookies keep well stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
