Description
These Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms are festive, chewy chocolate cookies topped with a minty Candy Cane Hershey Kiss. Perfect for holiday gatherings, they combine rich cocoa, soft butter-based dough, and a crunchy peppermint chocolate center that sets beautifully when cooled on the baking sheets.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (188 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 cup (40 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Toppings
- 34 Candy Cane Hershey Kisses, frozen
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar for rolling dough balls
Instructions
- Freeze Candy Cane Kisses: Unwrap 34 Candy Cane Hershey Kisses and place them in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden for pressing into the baked cookies.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a large bowl for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Egg Yolks and Vanilla: Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla extract until the mixture is pale in color and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined to form the cookie dough.
- Portion Dough: Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, divide the dough into 34 equal portions and roll each into a ball.
- Coat Dough Balls: Roll each dough ball in the 1/4 cup granulated sugar, then place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (12 on the first two sheets and 10 on the last).
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes at 350°F; 7 minutes if you prefer chewier cookies.
- Press Candy Cane Kisses: Immediately after removing from the oven, press a frozen Candy Cane Hershey Kiss into the center of each cookie.
- Cool on Baking Sheets: Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets so the chocolate kiss sets and maintains its shape.
- Serve and Store: Serve the cookies once cooled. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.
Notes
- Measure Flour Properly: Avoid scooping flour directly with your cup as it can cause too much flour to be used, resulting in dry cookies. Instead, spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife or use a kitchen scale with 125 grams per cup for accuracy.
- For a chewier texture, bake closer to 7 minutes instead of 8.
- Freezing the Candy Cane Kisses is essential to ensure they maintain shape when pressed into hot cookies.
- Do not overcrowd the baking sheets to allow even baking and spreading.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
