And so it begins.
Holiday Baking! It’s my favorite time of the year…to bake! I absolutely hate snow and cold weather but I love the holiday season when it comes to the sweet treats. Oh, and I love the music, don’t you?
There’s nothing quite better than chocolate in the winter. I don’t know what it is, but it’s comforting and for some reason tastes better in below freezing weather.
I found these Hershey’s Hugs at Target and couldn’t pass up their cuteness and figured they would pair well with chocolate chewy cookies, and let me tell you…they are perfecto.
First, let’s chat about this dough. It’s thick and sticky and chewy and ADDICTING. Super easy to pop a spoonful in your mouth, kind of tastes like fudge but not as rich. You should try it. 😉
Kind of look like Christmas ornaments or snow balls no? Pop the dough in the refrigerator for a bit – this will make it much easier to roll into balls and then cover in sugar.
Once cookies are done, let them sit for 1-2 minutes and then press the Hershey Hugs in the center and let them cool completely. I can’t stress this enough – if you don’t let the cookies cool and the Hugs set, they will melt all over the cookie which is fine, but they won’t look as pretty. I moved the first batch of cookies as they were cooling and the Hugs melted down. Want to know who actually preferred them that way? Yes, his name starts with a V and I quote….”I like them better this way because then I get a little chocolate in every bite.” He’s got a point…
What’s your favorite sweet treat during the holidays?
- 1 1/4 cups butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups white sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Hershey’s Kisses
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet.
- Unwrap Hershey’s Kisses or Hugs and set aside.
- In a stand alone mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix butter and sugars until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs one at a time and vanilla, mix well.
- In a separate bowl mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, and add to butter and sugar. Mix until dough comes together, it will be thick. Place dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up – it will make it easier to work with.
- Roll dough into balls about 1 inch (for small cookies) or 2 inches (for medium cookies) in diameter then roll in white sugar. Place balls on cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes – they will start to crack a little. Place chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie while still hot. Let cool completely. If you don’t let cool completely, the kisses with melt. Enjoy!
Source: Stuck on Sweet. Slightly Adapted from: All Recipes
nancy shea
i don’t have a mixer with a paddle-can I still make these? They look soooo good.
Jessica Erin
Yes, of course you can! You can use a hand held mixer or you can simply use a whisk it might just take a little more strength. 🙂
Angie
Yum! Just made them with my little girls, it’s -15 with a -42 wind chill here in WI we needed a warm treat:). Thanks for posting the recipe!
Jessica Erin
Brrrrr! Stay warm and enjoy!!
Julia
These look delicious!! I love holiday baking–I wish I had more time to do it.