Description
These Christmas Chocolate Kiss Cookies are soft, fudgy, and topped with Hershey’s Kisses. A festive classic perfect for cookie trays and gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (86 g) dark cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (160 g) holiday nonpareil sprinkles
- 48 Hershey’s Kiss candies (unwrapped)
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients: Unwrap the Hershey’s Kisses and set aside. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in the egg yolks, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix on low until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the cookies: Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the nonpareil sprinkles until fully coated.
- Chill: Place coated dough balls on the baking sheet and chill for 20–30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake cookies for 10–12 minutes, or until set.
- Add Kisses: Immediately after removing from the oven, gently press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Dark cocoa powder gives the cookies a rich, bittersweet flavor, but you can substitute Dutch-process cocoa if preferred.
The espresso powder is optional but enhances the chocolate flavor significantly.
Rolling in sprinkles before baking helps them adhere and adds crunch and color.
For a firmer cookie base, chill the dough longer.
Cookies can be frozen after baking, but avoid stacking unless separated with parchment.