It’s holiday treat time, making it my most favorite and most dreaded time of the year. I love the holiday ambiance. Christmas shopping and wrapping presents. Making treats. But I tend to overindulge a little too much. Okay. Way too much.
I figure that’s why a new year follows Christmas, so we can start fresh and pretend the last six weeks never happened. Or at least that’s what I plan to do.
As soon as I saw these beautiful, beautiful cookies, I knew I was going to make them:
Shortbread. Love it.
Peppermint. Yes, please.
Together. Oh boy.
They were easy to make but a little time consuming. I only had space in my freezer to chill one cookie sheet at a time. You need to give the cookies time to chill once you press the Hershey’s kiss in them, otherwise it melts. Of course, if you happen to live somewhere chilly – you can pop them in the garage for a few minutes instead.
These freeze beautifully and make a welcome addition to any cookie platter or holiday treat tray. Santa would certainly enjoy a plate of these with a tall glass of milk on Christmas Eve.
Candy Cane Kiss Thumbprints
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/4 cups butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract, optional (I left it out)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Candy Cane flavored Hershey’s Kisses, finely chopped
- granulated sugar
- additional, unwrapped Candy Cane Kisses- about 36
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Make room in your freezer for your cookie sheet(s).
- In large bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and egg. Beat at medium speed, until creamy (2-3 minutes).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to wet mixture and beat, until well blended (1-2 minutes). Stir in chopped Kisses.
- Shape dough into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set.
- Remove from the oven and cool for three minutes then gently press a Candy Cane Kiss in the center of each cookie. If the cookie cracks, quickly press it back together. Immediately put cookie sheet (with cookies) into the freezer to set the Kisses, otherwise they will get too warm and collapse. Freeze for at least 9 minutes. Transfer cookies to another plate and refrigerate until completely cooled.
- Store in a covered container for up to a week. In the freezer they should be okay for a couple of weeks (I love eating them straight from the freezer).
Notes
I did not add the peppermint extract. I love shortbread and wanted that buttery taste to come through. The chopped candy cane kisses added enough peppermint for me.
I initially made my cookies a little big, but I prefer them to be a bit smaller. You can easily make 3 dozen small thumbprints, possibly even more.
Recipe from Recipe Girl
Enjoy!
Tanya
Yumm!! These look like the holidays and if you made them they are amazing!! xoxo
Oh, these are fabulous. Completely and utterly addictive. Good thing Christmas only comes once a year!
these cookies are delicious! I used crushed candy canes in the dough and cut the sugar down to 1 cup. Pretty and tasty!
I’m so glad you liked them. They are one of my favorite holidays cookies too, although I was shocked, SHOCKED, to learn that family doesn’t love peppermint the way I do! I like your changes and cutting down the sugar was a great idea. 🙂