Hershey's Kiss, Kiss "Dah-ling" Cookies

I must be watching too many episodes of the Real Housewives Franchise because, while putting these together, "Kiss, Kiss, Dahling" (in the voice of Lisa Vanderpump or LuAnn De Lesseps) kept going through my head.  Despite this, I had so much fun making these!!  I first spied the idea on Pinterest here at Munchkin Munchies.  They looked so adorable I had to try them myself.  Since we are fast approaching February 14th, I decided to mimic the hues of the Kiss wrappers found in the Hershey Kiss Valentine's Day packages.  So cute.

I have an absolutely favorite cut-out cookie recipe that I always use, but it contains lemon juice and zest.  I planned to use melted Kisses for some of the cookies instead of icing, however, which didn't seem to appealing to combine with lemon.  Also, I wanted to flavor some of the dough with almond (to create a faux Hershey Kiss Almond candy) and some with cherry (for Hershey Cherry Cordial Kiss cookies).  Neither would be tasty with a lemon based cookie.

For a new sugar cookie dough recipe, I turned to The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle, since she makes some of the most amazing cookies I have ever seen.  It only stood to reason that her basic cookie recipe must be delicious, too, right?  I made a few slight changes but was VERY happy with this recipe.  I will most definitely be using it again.

Before baking the cookies, be sure you have your decorating supplies ready:  Unwrapped Hershey Kisses (save the "Hershey Kiss" tag from each), food coloring in the shade of each wrapper you are turning into a cookie, and edible sprinkles in the corresponding icing colors.

Basic Sugar Cookies

adapted from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle

1 cup (2 sticks) of real butter (I used salted)

1 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons flavoring extract (I used Almond)

2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter and sugar.  In a separate bowl, combine the egg and flavoring.  Combine butter and egg mixtures and beat until fully incorporated.  In another separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients and add to butter an egg mixture in three intervals.  Mix until dough is pliable but not sticky.  Roll out dough* and cut into desired shapes.  Bake for 7-8 minutes.  Let cool completely before icing.

To make the Kiss shape, I used a small heart cookie cutter.  I tried to smooth out the top of the heart into a straight line for the bottom of the Kiss.  Some were more successful than others.  Last night I picked up a small metal heart cutter and flattened the cutter itself for the future.

Next, I mixed up some icing - confectioner's sugar mixed with water to a thickish consistency.  To test the thickness I run a knife through the icing and count to five.  If the line disappears before 5 seconds, I add a bit more sugar.  If it takes 5 seconds for the line to disappear, it's exactly how I want it.  I just eyeballed the amount of icing, making as much as I thought I'd need for the amount of cookies I had.  Then, I split the icing into three parts dyeing the first one gray, the second light pink, and the third red.

Working with one color at a time, I poured the icing in a plastic piping bag fitted with a #3 tip.  Outline the Kiss with icing and fill the inside.  You can use a toothpick to nudge fill out the icing completely inside the outline.  Immediately after icing a cookie, take one of the Hershey Kiss tags and, again using a toothpick, push it into the icing so it will be secure once the icing sets.  After the tag is applied, immediately pour the sprinkles that match the icing color onto the cookie.  (TIP:  Pour the sprinkles over a coffee filter.  When you are done sprinkling, use the filter to pour the unused sprinkles back into the container.  Not my original idea, but it's genius and works like a dream!)

I started with gray icing and sprinkles:

Then I rounded out the Valentine collection with pink and red:

Once I completed the icing/tagging/sprinkling process, I melted down the unwrapped Hershey Kisses in the microwave in one minute increments at 30% power until they were melted.  I poured the melted chocolate into a piping bag, snipped off a TINY bit of the end, and made a triangle of chocolate on each cookie:

 

Using a toothpick, I pushed the chocolate into a kiss shape and did my best to create that iconic swirly flourish at the top!  I can definitely use more practice with that:

They are not perfect, but I *love* them.  :)

I think these might be a new favorite of mine.  I will make them for every Holiday and event coming because WHO doesn't love a Kiss?  Happy Valentine's Day!

Please, Sir, May I Have A S'more?

I don't know about you, but where I live it's under 20 degrees Fahrenheit these days.  Obviously, that's too cold to make S'mores sitting outside by a campfire.  So, I am bringing the S'more's inside to my warm kitchen!  This is a delicious, graham crackery cookie version of the classic treat.

To begin, you need to assemble the usual ingredients, plus a few more.  But first the essentials!

This recipe comes from one of my favorite sources of clever food ideas - those Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks you find in the magazine rack in most grocery check out lanes.  These Smore's Cookies can be found in the December 2007/January 2008 Holiday Cookie edition.

S'more Thumbprint Cookies

from Pillsbury Classic Cookbook

1 cup butter softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs (16 cracker squares)

1/8 teaspoon salt

120 miniature marshmallows

60 rectangles milk chocolate (four 1.55oz bars)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla; beat until well blended.  Add flour, cracker crumbs and salt; on low speed beat about 1 minute or until stiff dough forms.

Roll dough  into 60 balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.  With thumb, make indentation in center of each.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies are firm and edges are just beginning to brown.

One of the things I love about these cookies is that they don't spread while baking!

Lightly press 2 marshmallows in center of each cookie; bake 2-3 minutes longer.  

After removing cookies from oven place a rectangle of chocolate on top of the marshmallows.  

Let stand 2-3 minutes.  With tip of knife, gently spread chocolate over marshmallows.

 Let stand until chocolate is set.

Note:  To make graham cracker crumbs break 16 squares into food processor bowl with metal blade.  Cover; process until fine crumbs.  I have also placed the crackers in a large ziploc bag and crushed them with a rolling pin.  

That's it!  Super easy and super fun.  They taste great, too.  I actually enjoy eating one or two before the chocolate sets, while it's warm and gooey.

I also kind of like the way the cookie look without spreading the chocolate.  I like the HERSHEY written across the top.  I like them both ways, it's really a preference thing.  Regardless of how you decide to serve them, I hope you enjoy the summery/fall goodness of S'mores all year round!

I have shared this recipe on:

Ice Cream Cones That Won't Melt In Your Hands!

I had some leftover cake pop mixture left over from last week and wanted to find something to do with it.  Of course,  I turned to Bakerella and found these amazing ice cream cone cake truffles.  I could not wait to give them a try myself!  Certainly they did not turn out nearly as perfect, but, as the title clearly states, I am a beginner and proud of my first attempt!

To start, you need some cake truffle mixture.  Click here for instructions to assemble it.  Next, find a box top  or something similar for a makeshift cone holder.  I used a candy box.  Taking a knife, I cut "X" shapes to set the cones into after dipping so the chocolate could set.

It is best to prepare this before assembling the cones so you are not stuck when you begin dipping.  Now, roll the cake mixture into balls and press into the cones.  Be somewhat firm so the balls will not fall out while dipping them into the chocolate.  Place them in the refrigerator for an hour or in the freezer for 10 minutes or so.

A few minutes before your pops have chilled and are ready to be dipped, begin melting the chocolate.  I used Wilton melting chocolate, which can be purchased at craft stores.  I heated them in the microwave for 30 second intervals on power level 2.  Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Next, the dipping.  Coat the cake with chocolate and don't worry about imperfections, a bit of a rough texture creates more of an ice cream scoop effect and the drips look completely natural for ice cream.

I had to dip the white chocolate cones twice, because the chocolate cake showed through the coating.  I also made some pink ice cream cones, but I didn't like those as much.

Once the "ice cream" coating dried completely, I melted a small amount of chocolate to make "hot fudge" for the cones.  I melted a bit of red to make the cherries.  You can embellish the cones with sprinkles or jimmies, anything that suits you!

This is a more forgiving process than actual cake pops, since drips and drops actually work in the design, so you might want to give them try!

Summer may be over, but these ice cream cones will be a great treat all year 'round!  Enjoy.