Gingerbread Kiss Cookies Recipe

Course: cookie, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Chill Time: 15

Total Time: 35

Servings: cookies

Calories: 193kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These Gingerbread Kiss Cookies are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The gingerbread flavor and the creaminess of a Hershey’s kiss on top are the perfect combinations!

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Equipment

Ingredients

14.5 ounces gingerbread cake and cookie mix 411 grams (1 box), Betty Crocker recommended
¼ cup half-and-half 57 grams, room temperature
3 tablespoons salted butter 42 grams, room temperature (⅜ stick)
½ cup raw cane sugar 100 grams
15 Hershey’s Hugs 68 grams

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mix, half-and-half, and salted butter together until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.
14.5 ounces gingerbread cake and cookie mix, ¼ cup half-and-half, 3 tablespoons salted butter
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well with a rubber spatula and mix again for 1-2 minutes to make sure everything is incorporated.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes, or until no longer sticky.
When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the raw cane sugar in a shallow bowl.
½ cup raw cane sugar
Scoop the dough using a 1½-tablespoon cookie portion scoop and roll gently into a ball.
Roll the ball in the sugar to coat completely and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining dough until the pan is full with the cookies placed about 1-2 inches away from the edges and each other.
Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until set on the edges. Do not overcook. If you have extra dough, you can bake another batch after the first finishes baking.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
Press an unwrapped Hershey’s Hug into the center of each gingerbread cookie and allow the cookies to cool for an additional 5-10 minutes before removing to a cooking rack or serving warm.
15 Hershey’s Hugs

Notes

You can use a different flavor of cake/cookie mix, such as spice, if you can't find gingerbread.
You can use whole milk in place of the half-and-half.
If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
If you can't find raw cane sugar, you can use granulated sugar.
If you can't find Hershey's Hugs, you can use any kind of Hershey's Kisses.
Be sure to soften your butter before starting. I like to leave my butter out for about an hour before making cookies so that it can be completely at room temperature. However, in a pinch you can microwave it for 5 seconds at a time, turning it after every heating. Be careful not to overheat it though! You don’t want melted butter!
Don’t skip the chill time. I hate waiting for cookie dough to chill and I try to avoid it at all costs. But with these cookies it is definitely worth it! First, the dough tends to be sticky and hard to work with when it is first mixed. Second, it flattens out too much if it doesn’t have time to chill first. So do yourself the favor and just stick it in the fridge for 15 minutes or so before you bake it. Out of the fridge the dough is nice and workable, soft but not sticky and the cookies turn out big and fluffy with a crunchy outside.
If you want your kisses to be ooey and gooey, put them on just a minute or two after the cookies come out of the oven. If you prefer them firm with just a bit of soft give, then you’ll want to wait 5-10 minutes before putting on the kisses.

Storage: Store gingerbread kiss cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition