Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Ingredients:

SUGAR/VANILLA COOKIE DOUGH

• 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• sprinkles
• 24 Candy Cane Hershey Kisses*

Directions:

1. For the sugar/vanilla cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. Using a hand-held or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 5 full minutes, scraping down the sides and the bottom as necessary. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, beating on medium-high until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. In a medium bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed until fully combined. The dough will be very thick. If the dough is extremely sticky, chill for at least 45 minutes.

2. Roll dough into balls, a little less than 1 Tablespoon of dough each. The dough may seem dry*, but the warmth of your hands will allow it to come together in a ball. Roll into assorted sprinkles and bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will look very, very under baked. That's what you need. Do not over bake. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Press a Hershey Kiss into the center and immediately put the cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 minutes. Doing this will prevent the kiss from melting. Cookies remain fresh tightly covered at room temperature for 1 week. Cookies may be frozen up to 2-3 months. Cookie dough balls may be frozen up to 2-3 months. Roll into sprinkles right before baking. Do not thaw; simply bake for an extra minute or two.

*Additional Notes:

For the sugar cookies: the cookie dough should be relatively firm and even somewhat dry. If you find that it's very soft and hard to roll, chill for at least 45 minutes. Soft cookie dough = flat cookies. I strongly recommend King Arthur flour because this flour has a higher protein content than any other flour on the market. More protein in flour results in thicker cookies.

1. I strongly suggest using room temperature egg yolks and egg (respectively) for these cookies recipes so the egg(s) disperse more evenly into the cookie doughs. To bring to room temperature quickly, place egg(s) into a glass of warm water for 5 minutes.
2. If you cannot find Candy Cane Hershey Kisses, you can use regular chocolate Hershey Kisses. To get a peppermint flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to either cookie dough when you add the vanilla extract.