Friday, December 05, 2008

Hug & Kisses Cookies

The Christmas Baking Bonanza continues!

This recipe comes from my friend LB (slightly adapted by me), with whom I attended culinary school. The top of the page the recipe is printed on reads "Grandma's Recipes" so I assume this came from LB's grandmother. Thank you LB!

This is a bit of a different cookie dough, being made with oil as opposed to butter. When you get to the end of dough-making stage, you'll look at the result and be skeptical that this is going to turn out well. And then you will be directed to chill the dough for no fewer than two hours. And if you follow this sage advice, you'll be rewarded and your dough will be firm enough to scoop with a cookie scoop or shape into balls with your hands. I used my #70 scoop for these and I got 53 cookies.

For the centres, I got some candy cane flavoured Hershey's Kisses, which are quite wonderful, and look really pretty, too.

Hugs & Kisses Cookies

4 oz unsweetend chocolate, cut up (um...I didn't follow this directive; I used Chipits; it was fine)
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
1 package Hershey's Kisses

Melt the chocolate over a bain marie and let it cool. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, melted chocolate, oil, baking powder, and vanilla. Gradually add flour until just combined. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Shape into balls. Bake at 350F for 12 - 15 minutes. While still hot, make an indentation with the back of a small measuring spoon. When warm, add the Hershey's Kisses.

Because they're made with oil, they have a less rich flavour than a butter cookie and are chewy. But that's all good, especially when they're topped with something like a minty Hershey's Kiss.

Enjoy!

10 comments:

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

So cute! Those cookies would make a marvelous gift!

Cheers,

Rosa

Karen said...

Mmm, minty, chocolate and colourful. Fanatastic! And oil is the secret to keeping cookies moist? Interesting. I'll have to try that one of these days.

Meg said...

I love the candy cane kisses! These look so delicious!

Joie de vivre said...

I've never seen these striped kisses before. They make such a pretty Christmas cookie!

Joanna said...

these are so adorable!! i love the kisses that hershey's comes out with. they are so creative.

Nate @ House of Annie said...

Those cookies are the bomb!

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tshsmom said...

I love the mint kisses, but I don't think I'd have the patience to unwrap all of them for cookies.

Elizabeth said...

Those cookies look delicious and festive! :)

Emily Rose said...

mmm... these are so cute! I have not baked with olive oil very much- but these look great- I think I'll have to try them out!

Wandering Coyote said...

Emily Rose: Oh, don't use olive oil - it has a funny taste for this kind of baking! Use just regular vegetable oil! I used safflower/sunflower, but canola would be just fine, too.

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