Description
Hershey kiss gingerbread cookies bring warmth and nostalgia to holiday baking with their delightful combination of spices and chocolate. Classic ingredients blend seamlessly, creating irresistible treats you’ll want to share with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (720 ml or 24 fl oz) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (60 ml or 2 fl oz) softened butter (1 ¼ sticks)
- ¼ cup (60 ml or 2 fl oz) firmly packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml or 2 fl oz) molasses
- ¼ cup (60 ml or 2 fl oz) granulated sugar (optional, for topping)
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 48 unwrapped Hershey’s kisses (milk or white chocolate)
Instructions
- Dry Mixture Preparation: Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl, creating a fragrant spice blend.
- Wet Ingredients Combination: Cream butter and brown sugar using an electric mixer until fluffy. Incorporate molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, blending until smooth and homogeneous.
- Dough Formation: Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, creating a soft dough. Shape into a compact disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 4-6 hours to intensify flavors and improve texture.
- Cookie Shaping: Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls, coat generously with granulated sugar, and position 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Baking and Chocolate Placement: Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges turn golden. Immediately after removing from oven, press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each warm cookie.
- Cooling and Storage: Transfer cookies to wire racks, allowing complete cooling. Store in an airtight container, maintaining freshness for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerating the dough for 4-6 hours or overnight intensifies the gingerbread flavor and helps cookies maintain their shape during baking.
- Kiss Placement Technique: Press Hershey’s Kiss immediately into warm cookies right after removing from the oven, allowing chocolate to slightly melt and adhere perfectly.
- Sugar Coating Trick: Roll cookie dough balls generously in granulated sugar before baking to create a delightful crackly exterior and add extra sweetness.
- Storage Wisdom: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for maximum freshness, ensuring they remain soft and delicious for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg