WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES
If you know me at all then you know that I have zero self-control around those Hershey's candy cane kisses. I get so excited when I finally see them on the shelves at the stores. Which is basically like the day after Halloween 🙂Â
I have been brainstorming ideas for how to use those kisses in some Christmas recipes and that's how these delicious things were born.
It's a classic pudding cookie recipe (adapted from these ones) that uses white chocolate pudding, is stuffed with a candy cane kiss, and drizzled with melted candy cane kisses.
Are they sweet? YES! But not so crazy sweet that it's inedible. Or at least I hope not. If you love white chocolate and those kisses then I know these will be a hit.
I would say the melted kisses drizzled on top of the cookies is optional...…. but, it's really not! Please add it. It only takes about a minute in the microwave and then another minute to drizzle the cookies.
The drizzle on top will harden up after about an hour. Which will make it easier to package these to give away, or easier for littles to eat without smearing melted chocolate all over themselves and everything around them! haha
My tips for making this peppermint cookie recipe
- You don't want to roll the dough balls too large or else the cookie to candy cane kiss ratio is a bit off. I pinch off about 1-2 tablespoons cookie dough, flatten in on the palm of my hand, stick the unwrapped kiss in the middle, and then bring up the sides of the dough and roll into a ball.
- Make sure the kiss is completely covered by the dough.
- I hate recipes that require chilling just as much as the next person, but for this recipe it is best to freeze the dough balls for 10 minutes prior to baking. We're trying to keep the kiss covered in the cookie so we don't want the cookies spreading too much.Â
- 1 bag of the Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses will be enough for the cookies and the drizzle.Â
- These cookies are very pale even when they're done baking! So don't judge the cookies doneness on the color. These do firm up, cook more while they are cooling. So if you overbake them you will end up with dry cookies.
- I always bake them for the minimum cook time and once they have cooled completely they are perfect.Â
TRY THESE OTHER PEPPERMINT TREATS
White Chocolate Peppermint Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 small box (3.4 oz) white chocolate instant pudding mix (do not prepare, use dry mix)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 bag Hershey's candy cane kisses (unwrapped)
Instructions
- Prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper or spraying with cooking spray. Oven heats to 350 degrees but it's easiest to do this later as the dough needs to be in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, or use a handheld blender, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and combined. Add the egg, vanilla and peppermint extract. Beat until well combined and smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, dry pudding mix, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients, 1 cup at a time, to the wet ingredients in the mixer until just combined. The dough will be thick and chunky.
- Mix in the white chocolate chips on low speed just until incorporated.
- Grab about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball (about the size of a golf ball) and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Place 1 unwrapped candy cane kiss in the middle, and then bring up the sides and form into a ball. Place the dough balls on a plate and put them in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes before baking. ** I roll and stuff 12 cookie dough balls and freeze those for about 10 minutes. While that batch is freezing, I will roll the other 12 dough balls and freeze those while the first batch is baking in the oven. This way, some dough balls are not in the freezer for 20 minutes or more.
- Place dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 11-14 minutes. They will still be pale but should not look wet/raw dough. Let cool on cookie sheet for 30 minutes and then drizzle with melted candy cane kisses.
- To make the drizzle : melt 1 cup of unwrapped candy cane kisses + ½ teaspoon canola or vegetable oil, in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Drizzle this over the cookies (after they've been cooling for about 30 minutes). Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely (chocolate drizzle will harden).
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You keep saying to place the UNWRAPPED KISS in the middle of the dough. What happens to the wrapping. I don't want foil wrap in my cookie. I think I am missing something here.
Unwrapped means you take the wrapping off of the Kiss. Of course you don't (no one does!) want a foil wrapper in your cookies. Unwrap the kiss (aka - take off the wrapper).