Chocolate Orange Kiss Cookies
This shortbread cookie recipe is from my mother's Christmas collection. The original recipe calls for stuffing the cookie with a Hershey's Kiss, but the candy gets hard in baking. My version is more dental friendly and faster to make.
Prep: 25 minutes Chill: 2 hours Bake: 12-13 minutes Bake at: 375° Makes: 40 small cookies Pan: 2 baking sheets Difficulty: easy
Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened
6 tablespoons (77g) sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions:
Bring butter to room temperature.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low speed to cream butter until whipped, about 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar with mixer running and then beat 1 minute more. Blend in vanilla bean paste or extract and orange zest. At low speed, gradually blend in flour in 2 additions until just incorporated. Stir in by hand the pecans and then mini chocolate chips. Dough will be stiff. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Cover and chill 2 hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
Roll 1 heaping tablespoon (#50 cookie scoop) into a ball between your palms and place on ungreased baking sheet. Place additional dough balls 2" apart on pan. Bake at 375° for 12-13 minutes until very light brown around the edges. Prepare second baking sheet with dough balls while first pan is baking. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet and remove to a wire rack. Continue to cool until just lukewarm. Place powdered sugar in a large Ziploc or other bag. Gently roll 4 or 5 cookies at a time in the powdered sugar until coated on all sides. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight tin between sheets of wax paper. Cookies will freeze for up to 3 months.
Tips:
- If you prefer, stuff each cookie with 1 Hershey's Kiss in place of mini chocolate chips. Buy a large bag of Hershey's Kisses; unwrap half or more. Shape 1 heaping tablespoon of dough around a Hershey's Kiss with your hands. Roll into a ball between your palms. Bake as directed.