Description
Candy Cane Kiss Cookies are festive, peppermint-flavored treats featuring a soft, buttery cookie base mixed with crushed candy canes and topped with a classic Hershey’s Candy Cane Kiss. These cookies combine the nostalgic flavors of the holidays into a delightful and easy-to-make dessert perfect for Christmas celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1¼ cup white sugar divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp milk
- ½ cup crushed candy canes
Topping
- 28 Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Sheets: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside to prepare for baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a handheld mixer on medium-low speed, cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of the sugar until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract to the butter mixture and mix for another 1 minute until fully combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Mix Dough: Add the flour mixture, milk, and crushed candy canes to the wet ingredients. Beat just until incorporated, approximately 30 seconds to avoid overmixing.
- Form Dough Balls: Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized portions and use your hands to roll each into a smooth ball.
- Coat Dough Balls: Roll each cookie dough ball in the remaining ¼ cup sugar to coat the outside evenly.
- Chill Dough: Place the cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate the dough balls for 2 hours to chill before baking.
- Preheat Oven: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the chilled dough balls in the oven for 10 minutes or until the centers are set but not browned.
- Add Candy Cane Kisses: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes, then press an unwrapped Hershey’s Candy Cane Kiss into the center of each cookie.
Notes
- For a stronger peppermint flavor, increase peppermint extract to ¾ teaspoon.
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Make sure dough balls are chilled thoroughly to prevent cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Store leftover cookies at room temperature in a sealed container for 5-7 days to maintain freshness.
- Crushed candy canes can vary in size; for best texture, use finely crushed pieces.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
