What an amazing week we’ve had. Thanksgiving gave us a beautiful day with gorgeous weather. Actually we reached 70 degrees last week. Then, a few days later, we had a three day Winter Storm to end all winter storms. Rain, sleet and snow. We even made CNN news.On Sunday Bob and I had a lovely surprise. My son Mikey came home for an unexpected visit. He was here on business but also to visit us. My heart was elated. I cried like nobody’s business. It was then that I decided to make his favorite holiday cookies.
These cookies come from a small cookbook I bought 20 years ago when we as a family traveled up to Pennsylvania to visit my mother-in-law. We drove to Hershey, PA on a day trip to visit the factory. (I’ve always been a chocoholic!) Driving into the town, we could smell the beautiful aromas of chocolate. The whole town was surrounded by chocolate. They even use the shells of the cocoa bean to fertilize the wondrous gardens they have.
In picking up various souvenirs at the shop, I also purchased this little cookbook. A few simple recipes made with Hershey’s chocolate. Of all the wonderful creations in this book, one stood out above the rest: Cocoa Kiss Cookies. So for 20 years we’ve been baking these every holiday season.
The tasty shortbread/butter cookie dough flavored with cocoa surround a delicious Hershey’s Kiss. I usually have to make 3 different types: one recipe without the pecans for my daughter Lily, one recipe with pecans and no powdered sugar for Bob and the original recipe for my son Mike.
I do hope you try these. They really are very good. Enjoy. :)
(Look at the delicious Hershey's Kiss right in the center of the cookie.)Cocoa Kiss Cookies
(from the Hershey’s Make It Chocolate Cookbook)
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 cup finely chopped pecans
54 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped
Confectioner’s sugar
In a large bowl cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Combine flour and cocoa and blend into creamed mixture.
Add nuts and combine until well blended. Chill dough for 1 hour or until firm.
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mold 1 tablespoon of dough around each unwrapped Kiss, covering Kiss completely.
Shape into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Cool slightly then remove from cookie sheet onto wire rack.
Roll in confectioners sugar. Makes about 4 to 4 ½ dozen cookies.
