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Cocoa Blossom Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 77 reviews

Cocoa Blossom Cookies are soft, chocolatey treats with a hint of vanilla and a melted Hershey’s Kiss center. This recipe provides a versatile dough base that can be adapted to gingerbread, mocha, red velvet, or peppermint flavors. Rolled in sugar and baked until crackly, these cookies are chilled before baking to retain shape and topped with a warm, gooey chocolate kiss for a delightful finish.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk

Coating and Decoration

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
  • 35 Hershey’s Kisses

Flavor Variations (Optional)

  • Gingerbread: ½ tablespoon molasses, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, pinch ground cloves
  • Mocha: 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • Red Velvet: red food gel (quantity as needed for color)
  • Peppermint: ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions

  1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until well combined. Set aside for later incorporation into the dough.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugars: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl using a handheld mixer, combine the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  3. Add Egg and Vanilla: Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl sides. Add the large egg and vanilla extract. Resume mixing on medium-high speed for 1 minute until fully incorporated and slightly aerated.
  4. Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Milk: Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredient mixture. Then add the tablespoon of whole milk. Mix just until combined; avoid over-mixing to keep cookies tender.
  5. Add Flavor Variations (Optional): At this point, customize your dough by folding in any optional flavorings such as molasses and spices for gingerbread, espresso powder for mocha, red food gel for red velvet, or peppermint extract.
  6. Form and Sugar Coat Dough Balls: Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out cookie dough and roll into balls between your hands. Roll each ball in the ¼ cup granulated sugar until evenly coated. Place the coated balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. Repeat until all dough is used, yielding about 35 cookies.
  7. Chill Dough and Prepare Kisses: Refrigerate the dough balls for 1 hour to prevent spreading during baking. While chilling, unwrap the Hershey’s Kisses and place them in a freezer-safe container in the freezer. This step prevents them from melting too quickly when added to the hot cookies.
  8. Preheat Oven and Line Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper for even baking and easy cleanup.
  9. Bake Cookies: Place cookie balls spaced a few inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 11 to 13 minutes. The cookies should appear set and show cracks but not be fully firm.
  10. Add Hershey’s Kisses: Immediately upon removing from the oven, gently press a frozen Kiss into the center of each cookie so it sticks. Repeat baking and pressing kisses with the second batch.
  11. Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to set properly. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.

Notes

  • Use metric measurements with a kitchen scale for accuracy and consistency.
  • If you don’t have kosher salt, use half the amount of fine salt in the recipe (1 teaspoon kosher salt equals ½ teaspoon fine salt). The recipe uses Diamond Kosher salt, not coarse.
  • You may substitute Hershey’s Kisses with candy cane kisses, sugar cookie kisses, or hugs for flavor variations.
  • For a crinkled, powdered sugar-coated look, roll dough balls lightly in granulated sugar first, then heavily in powdered sugar immediately before baking.
  • Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months and thaw to room temperature before serving.
  • Unbaked cookie dough balls can also be frozen in a sealed bag for up to 2 months; add an extra minute to baking time when using frozen dough.

Keywords: cocoa blossom cookies, chocolate cookies, Hershey's kiss cookies, holiday cookies, chocolate desserts, easy cookie recipe

Find it online: https://kitchenwithkai.com/cocoa-blossom-cookies-recipe/