RUDOLPH'S SECRET SNOWBALL KISSES

It's never to early to start your holiday cookie baking! Here's one I really love:  Rudolph's Secret Snowball Kisses! Maybe it's the name? Maybe it's the cookie? Whatever, they're great and easy to make! The big secret is that there's a Hershey's kiss inside each "snowball" cookie. This cookie is perfect for your cookie tray for Christmas or New Year's Eve.

RUDOLPH'S SECRET SNOWBALL KISSES 

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans)
Hershey's Kisses
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions

In large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla. Stir together flour and salt and add to mixture and beat well. Fold in walnuts. 

Refrigerate dough for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350. 

Shape dough into 1 inch balls (about a Tbsp) around each kiss. 

Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1.5 inches apart. 

Bake 10 to 18 minutes or until set. Do not brown.

Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. 

When cooled completely; roll cookies in powdered sugar. 

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BLOSSOMS: Cookie Week!

Here's a delicious cookie to make for the holidays. You can use caramel or chocolate kisses..or both! How easy is this? Adapted from Hershey's Kitchens!

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BLOSSOMS

Ingredients 
1/2 cup Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate Chips  (or chopped chocolate)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup additional granulated or decorator's sugar for rolling
1/2 cup dulce de leche or HERSHEY'S Caramel Topping
24 HERSHEY'S KISSES Milk Chocolates filled with Caramel  (or Hershey's Kisses)

Directions
Place chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and smooth when stirred. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Gradually beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Blend in melted chocolate chips. Stir together flour, cocoa and baking soda; beat into chocolate mixture, beating until thoroughly blended. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.
Heat oven to 350° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Shape dough into 24 equal balls (about 1-1/4 inches each). Roll in granulated or decorator's sugar, placing on prepared cookie sheets.
Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set and center is still slightly soft. Do not over bake. Remove cookie sheets from oven to wire rack. With end of wooden spoon make indentation in center of each cookie. Fill each cookie indentation with dulce de leche (or caramel topping). Cool 15 minutes; gently shift parchment paper with cookies to wire rack. Cool completely.
Remove wrappers from candies. Gently press candy onto each cookie. Makes 24 cookies.

RUDOLPH'S SECRET SNOWBALL KISSES: Updated Recipe

Have you started your holiday cookie baking? Here's one I really love:  Rudolph's Secret Snowball Kisses! Maybe it's the name? Maybe it's the cookie? Whatever, they're great and easy to make! The big secret is that there's a Hershey's kiss inside each "snowball" cookie. This cookie is perfect for your cookie tray for Christmas or New Year's Eve.

RUDOLPH'S SECRET SNOWBALL KISSES 

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans)
Hershey's Kisses
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions

In large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla. Stir together flour and salt and add to mixture and beat well. Fold in walnuts. 

Refrigerate dough for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350. 

Shape dough into 1 inch balls (about a Tbsp) around each kiss. 

Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1.5 inches apart. 

Bake 10 to 18 minutes or until set. Do not brown.

Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. 

When cooled completely; roll cookies in powdered sugar. 

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

RUDOLPH'S SECRET SNOWBALL KISSES: Christmas Cookies!

Have you started your holiday cookie baking? Here's one I really love:  Rudolph's Secret Snowball Kisses! Maybe it's the name? Maybe it's the cookie? Whatever, they're great and easy to make! The big secret is that there's a Hershey's kiss inside each "snowball" cookie. This cookie is perfect for your cookie tray for Christmas or New Year's Eve.

RUDOLPH'S SECRET SNOWBALL KISSES 

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Hershey's Kisses

1 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions

In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Stir together flour and salt and add to mixture and beat well. Fold in walnuts. Refrigerate dough for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Remove wrappers from Hershey's Kisses. Flatten balls and put a chocolate kiss in the middle of each. Pinch dough around kiss. Cover Hershey's Kiss completely. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet (makes about 3 dozen).

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until set. Do not brown.

Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. 

When cooled completely; roll cookies in powdered sugar. 

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Easy Any Time Nutella Cookies: World Nutella Day

Today is World Nutella Day. Nutella is a hazelnut-chocolate spread with the consistency of smooth peanut butter. FYI: Nutella has no artificial colors or preservatives. I think of nutella as goodness in a jar! Nutella is more than just a “chocolaty hazelnut spread,” it is a way of life.

Want to know more about Nutella and today's celebration? Check out these links!

• World Nutella Day Fan Page on Facebook!
• Twitter stream @nutelladay for updates UseTwitter hashtag #nutelladay to  participate!
  
•  700 Nutella recipes
• New to Nutella? Learn what the fuss is about
• 8 Things You may not Know About Nutella

I'm a fan of Cost Plus World Market, so I signed up for their emails. A few years ago, this recipe popped up in my inbox for Easy Anytime Nutella Cookies from Chef Katie Chin of the Sweet and Sour Chonicles for World Market. As I've mentioned, exciting and delicious recipes are everywhere! You just have to find them. 

Kisses! Kisses!

Hershey's Kisses celebrated its 102nd birthday Tuesday and who better to blog about the "Kiss" than Louise at Months of Edible Celebrations. Hershey's Kisses celebrated their centennial in 2007 and the USPS even issued a postage stamp. Check out Months of Edible Celebrations for fun facts, pictures and recipes.