Description
Gingerbread Blossoms are soft, spiced cookies rolled in sugar and topped with a chocolate Kiss candy center. These festive treats combine warm gingerbread flavors with a delightful chocolate surprise, perfect for holiday gatherings and cookie exchanges.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g) (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (170g / 12 Tbsp)
- 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (150g) (dark preferred)
- 6 tablespoons unsulphured or dark molasses (128g) (Grandma’s brand preferred; do not use blackstrap)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Rolling and Topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar or coarse sparkling sugar (100g)
- 30 Hershey’s Kisses or Hugs, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, then set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until creamy and combined, about 3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again if needed. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which is normal.
- Combine Dough: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be thick.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop and roll cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 tablespoons (30g) each. Roll each ball in granulated sugar or coarse sugar and arrange them at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until the edges appear set but centers are still soft.
- Cool Before Adding Chocolate: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Set Chocolate Kisses: Using a thin spatula, transfer cookies carefully to a smaller tray or plate that fits in your freezer. Press a chocolate Kiss candy into the center of each cookie. Place the tray in the freezer for 10 minutes to quickly set the chocolate.
- Serve and Store: Remove cookies from the freezer and serve. Store leftover cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- You can make the dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping.
- Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked dough balls freeze well for the same time; bake frozen dough for an extra minute without thawing.
- Using coarse sugar for rolling adds extra crunch and sparkle compared to regular granulated sugar.
- If you prefer, skip adding the chocolate Kiss for plain gingerbread cookies or substitute with chocolate chips, white chocolate morsels, or butterscotch chips.
- Be sure to press the chocolate Kiss firmly but gently so the cookie doesn’t crack.
- Use Grandma’s brand or another mild molasses, avoiding the bitter blackstrap kind for best flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
