Chocolate Kiss Crinkle Cookies
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Chocolate Kiss Crinkle Cookies are the most delicious chocolate crinkles with a Hersheys Kiss pressed into the middle.
December 4th is National Cookie Day! Celebrate this day by eating loads of cookies! You can buy or bake any sort of cookie, but I suggest you make these chocolate kiss crinkle cookies! You may also enjoy my chocolate chip pudding cookies, lofthouse cookies or trail mix cookies.
Share the cookie love on social media today using the hashtags #NationalCookieDay, #CookieDay and #RecipesForHolidays.
Be sure to follow my December Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of December.
The History of Cookies:
The cookie has origins from the 1600’s. The word “cookie” comes from the Dutch word “koekje,” meaning “little cake.” Early cookies were often baked as test batches to check the oven temperature before baking larger cakes. By the 1700s and 1800s, cookies began to take their modern form. In the United States, recipes for cookies such as gingerbread and shortbread became popular.
With the development of mass production techniques and the rise of large food companies like Nabisco and Keebler, cookies became commercially available in pre-packaged forms. Brands like Oreo (introduced in 1912) gained widespread popularity.
in 1938, the iconic chocolate chip cookie was invented by Ruth Wakefield in Massachusetts. She was trying to make a batch of butter cookies and added chunks of semi-sweet chocolate, not knowing that it would become the world’s most famous cookie. After selling the recipe to Nestlé, the company began including the recipe on its chocolate packaging. Nestlé also developed chocolate chips, which were easier to use in baking. The chocolate chip cookie became a staple in American households.
Ingredients Needed:
- miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- granulated white sugar
- salted butter
- egg whites
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- baking powder and salt
- water
- powdered sugar
- Hersheys HUGS Kisses
How to make Chocolate Kiss Crinkle Cookies:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
- In a microwave, melt 1 cup of chocolate chips. Stir until smooth.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the butter mixture alternately with the water. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips. Refrigerate, covered, until easy to handle- at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a smaller baking sheet in the freezer.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Place the balls 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove cookies to the chilled baking sheet. Press a Kiss in the middle of each cookie. Then place the baking sheet back into the freezer to set the kisses so they don’t melt.
Tips and Substitutions:
- It’s okay to use any flavor Hersheys Kisses for this recipe.
- For an extra-chocolatey cookie, use chocolate extract in place of vanilla extract.
- You can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it. Roll it into balls, then place the balls in a zip baggie to store for up to 6 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the final bake time.
What’s the best way to store Kiss cookies:
Store these cookies in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 3 days. Separate the cookies with wax paper or parchment paper.
To freeze, place them in an airtight container or zip baggie for up to 3 months.
What I Love About This Recipe:
- I love the extra bonus of a Hersheys Kiss in the middle!
- They make a great Christmas cookie recipe.
- They’re delicious!
Fun Facts About Cookies:
- Since its debut in 1912, the Oreo cookie has sold more than 450 billion units worldwide, making it the best-selling cookie brand globally. It’s so popular that in 2018, it was estimated that more than 50 billion Oreos were consumed in the U.S. alone that year.
- The largest cookie ever baked weighed 40,000 pounds and was created in Illinois in 2003. It measured over 102 feet in diameter and was made to raise money for a children’s hospital. It took about 80,000 chocolate chips to complete!
- The Cookie Monster from Sesame Street isn’t just a fun blue character. His real name, according to some sources, is Sid! However, he’s still most famously known for his love of cookies.
- Americans were the ones to popularize the term “cookies.” In other English-speaking countries like the UK, cookies are generally referred to as biscuits.
- The world’s most expensive cookie costs $1,000. Created by the luxury hotel Le Méridien in New York, it is made from rare ingredients like white truffle, Almas caviar, and 24-carat gold.
Chocolate Kiss Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 42 Hersheys Kisses HUGS
Instructions
- In a microwave, melt 1 cup of chocolate chips. Stir until smooth.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the butter mixture alternately with the water. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips. Refrigerate, covered, until easy to handle- at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a smaller baking sheet in the freezer.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Place the balls 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove cookies to the chilled baking sheet. Press a Kiss in the middle of each cookie. Then place the baking sheet back into the freezer to set the kidsses so they don't melt.