Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Kisses
Can you believe we are less than 10 days away from Christmas?!
I swear this has been the longest, shortest, slowest, fastest year of my whole life. I am sure you get what I mean by that haha.
It’s been a strange one and I honestly debated whether or not to even make any Christmas cookies this year, because the landscape seems to be changing so much every day. I used to make a ton and give them out but we really aren’t seeing much of anyone this holiday season, to be as safe as possible.
But I decided that not making holiday cookies was really taking away another tradition that I hold dear to my heart. So, while the quantities have changed this year, the spirit behind the cookies has not. And besides- we still have a teacher to thank and lots of family to make drop-offs to!
I’ve always made some variation of a thumbprint cookie every year, and this year decided that a peppermint version with the addition of cute holiday Hershey Kisses was just what I needed to add to my cookie boxes. I hope you enjoy making these for yourself, and those you love the most!
Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Kisses
Makes 30 Cookies
*This recipe requires chilling time*
Tools: Medium and large sized bowls, hand mixer, spatula, baking sheets lined with parchment paper, cooling rack.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup white sugar, divided
1 large free range egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon* pure peppermint extract
2 teaspoons milk (whatever kind you like is fine)
30 Peppermint Hershey Kiss candies
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In a separate large bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar and 1/3 cup white sugar together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
Add in the egg, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and beat to combine. *Note - if you are using plain Hershey kisses you may want to up your peppermint extract to 3/4 teaspoon here.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed and then add the dry ingredients. Add the milk and mix on low speed until everything comes together.
Transfer the bowl into the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to overnight.
When the dough has chilled, roll into tablespoon sized balls and roll into the remaining 1/3 cup of white sugar. Line your baking sheet with parchment and set the cookies on it with little space in between. Make an indent in each (I use the end of a wooden spoon). Transfer the cookies back into the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat your oven to 350F degrees and line an additional baking sheet with parchment. Rearrange the cooled cookies so they have two inches between them and bake in your preheated oven for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are set. (I like to do one tray at a time and keep the extra cookies in the fridge until baking). Remove from the oven and re-make the indents if necessary. Gently push a peppermint Hershey Kiss into the top of each cookie while still warm.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Happy eating! Xo
