I know, Orange Kiss-Me cookies sound more like a Valentine's Day cookie than a Christmas cookie. Suit yourself. Just make them. They are amazing.
NOTE: A couple of people have reported having problems with these. I have never had a problem with them spreading but I will make them again a couple of times and see if I can figure out what the problem is - stay tuned! Love, Marye - 12/17/2013
NOTE: I have made these cookies several times since the "spreading""spreading" problem was reported. Each time they came out just fine (see image below). I am guessing it is a difference in flour somehow but I am not sure what. I use Central Milling Company Unbleached Organic All Purpose Flour from Costco or King Arthur Unbleached Organic All Purpose flour. You might try baking at 350F. I don't know why some people are having problems. Love, Marye, March `10, 2014
These are your traditional "Blossom" type cookies with a Hershey's Kiss in the center but the dough is flavored with orange so that in each bite you get that orange-chocolate-crumbly-creamy-oh-my response from your mouth. This will require that your hand reaches to the plate again to repeat the process, and so on. Make no mistakes. These are good. I like to use an organic flavoring but use what you like best.
Also, they travel very well. I sent a batch to my son Chris, who is back in Iraq this Christmas (his third time!). He said that they were amazing and he is sworn to protect the United States with his life... would he lie?
Never mind about that math test in 1997....
Anyway, these are a beautiful addition to any cookie platter or cookie exchange and they freeze well, too. The texture is sort of like a chewy shortbread... hard to explain but very delicate and nice.
I love these. They stay a nice light color and the large, white sugar crystals are a wintery touch I think. You can use colored sugar to make them festive or melt a little white chocolate and flip it over the cookie with a fork. Lots of ways to make these look gorgeous.
If the Kiss doesn't seem to want to stay when you press it into the hot cookie just pop the pan back into the oven for a minute or two to help the chocolate get a little melty. Not enough to change the shape but just enough to melt to the cookie on the bottom.
Orange Kiss-Me Cookies
Print SaveIngredients
- White sugar crystals for rolling
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 36 Hershey Kisses or Hugs, , unwrapped
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F
- Rub the orange zest into the sugar with your fingers to disperse the oils
- Beat the butter, orange extract, and sugar until light and fluffy
- Blend in the flour and salt
- Shape teaspoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar. You can use colored sugar if you like
- Place on a silpat covered baking sheet
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden and puffy
- Remove from oven
- Immediately press a Kiss into the center of the cookie
- Allow to cool completely. (HA! HA!)
Suzanne Ramey
I made these today I tripled the recipe and only ended up with 3 1/2 dozen cookies I used imperial margarine and didn't haven't problem with the cookie spreading. I rolled my cookies in regular sugar since I didn't any crystallized sugar. They look terrific I won't know what they taste cause I taking them to church to share. Will probably make again if my cookie say that they taste as good as they smell.
Marye Audet
How did you like them?
Eileen
Just tried making these and they spread out WAY too much! Should I have refrigerated the dough first before baking?
Marye Audet
You might want to freeze it first. I don't chill it before baking but heat of the kitchen, how you measured your flour, differences in butter, etc can all contribute to differences.
Kathy W.
Dear daughter decided to play some more. She made two other versions of this. One with mint extract and one with raspberry extract. As 'truth in advertising', the sugar for the mint was dyed green for the mint and pink for the raspberry. She also put some vanilla extract in the raspberry. They aren't bad, but might need a bit more tweaking. 🙂
Ann Marie C
Is there a substitute for sugar crystals? I can't seem to find them. Omit? Too bad, they make the cookies look so pretty--not sure how the omission will affect their taste.
maryeaudet
AnneMarie, if you can find turbinado sugar at your local wholefoods or natural foods store it will work better than regular sugar. The crystals are often at places like Hobby Lobby. It is a textural thing..they are fine with regular sugar but amazing with the crystals or turbinado. 🙂
Kathy W.
My daughter made these last night. They have quite a burst of orange when you bite into the cookie! However, she only got about 2 dozen -- and I don't think she made them any bigger than you show based on the proportion of kiss to cookie. Is there something that she might have done better to increase the yield?
maryeaudet
I don't know, does your family pick at the dough? Sometimes I have done that and cut the yield down quite a lot. 🙂
If not then I really am clueless. :/ Ask Lee Ann how many she got because she made them too.
courtney aka glamah
Choc and orange aremy fav. Love the look of these withthe sugar. Beautiful.
Elle
Oh, chocolate and orange are bff's! Great flavor combo-and I live the sparkly sugar. i need to pick some of that up soon!
maryeaudet
Elle, I had some left from a babyshower cake and decided to use it. I love the look.