Gingerbread Kisses

Who doesn't like making cookies for Santa?  For this past Christmas, my daughters and I made 3 different cookies for Santa. What can I say? I was determined to keep Santa 'Jolly'.  The first cookie we made is what I am calling Gingerbread Kisses.

Ingredients

 

I love Gingerbread cookies. They are however, pretty complex to make from scratch. You have to make the dough the night before and since I was already making 3 cookies, I just wanted to keep this one easy. Plus I really like Betty Crocker cookie mixes. 

You start with softened butter. Once your butter is soft, add the cookie mix and the egg. Mix until well combined.



Ingredients added 

All mixed

 

I loved that as soon as you started mixing this together, it smelled SO good. Once it is mixed, place some white sugar on a plate. Take bits of cookie dough, and roll into 1 inch balls. It should resemble the below picture.

Probably a little bigger than an inch

 

Then roll your cookie dough balls through the sugar like in the below picture. Don't mind my creepy fingers, I was trying to take a picture while rolling the cookie dough ball.

 

Once you have your balls rolled, place about an inch to 2 inches apart on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. 

Ready for baking

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 8 minutes.  While they are baking, unwrap your Hershey's Hugs. As I've said before, it is much easier to have them unwrapped so that you can press them into the cookies quickly. 

 

All Baked!

 

Once your cookies are done baking, immediately press a Hug into each cookie. Set them on a rack to cool while still on the pan. If you leave them on the stove while you are still baking, the chocolate will continue to melt and/or take MUCH longer to set. I put each batch on a rack for about 15min and then popped them into the fridge for about 20-25min until the Hugs had hardened back up. Once the Hugs have hardened, store all your cookies in an airtight container.  

All done!

I have to say, I really liked these cookies. I was going back and forth between getting Dark Chocolate Kisses and the Hugs. I really like the Hugs though. I though they complimented the Gingerbread cookies really well, and I feel like the dark chocolate would have overpowered them.

 

Recipe:

1 pkg Betty Crocker Gingerbread cookie mix

1 Egg

1 Stick of butter

Sugar for rolling

Hershey Hugs

 

Cover baking sheets with parchment paper

Place a little bit of sugar on a plate

Soften Butter to room temperature

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees

Combine cookie mix, softened butter and egg.

Once mixed, take bits of dough and roll into 1 inch balls.

Roll balls through sugar to coat.

Place cookie balls on baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes

While baking, unwrap Hershey Hugs

Once cookies are done baking, place 1 Hug on each cookie and press lightly.

Move off oven to cool and/or place in fridge until Hugs harden.

Store in airtight container.

 

Extreme Cookie Close-up!