Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter (or: no shortening, use 1 c. butter)
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
optional: 1 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)
48 Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped (one 10 ounce bag)

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

*Important!* To prevent cookies from flattening out, refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until just set, but centers are still soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to cooling rack. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/11/candy-cane-kiss-cookies/

Almond-Orange Shortbread

From: Everyday Food ... copyright 2007 Martha Stewart Note that I just melted some chocolate bark & chocolate chips to dip them it. You have to keep warming it to keep it thin, though, or your cookies will break! Also, I used some "orange peel" from Penzies rather than zesting my own oranges....

ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, unsalted, room temperature 1 cup confectioners' sugar ¾ teaspoon almond extract ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) Grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 teaspoons) ¾ cup sliced almonds Almond-Orange Shortbread Makes 40 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes Keep the dough for this delicate, flavorful cookie in your freezer. Later, you can slice off just what you need from the frozen log of dough and bake. Make the dough: In a mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt until smooth. With mixer on low speed, add flour and orange zest; mix just until a dough forms.With a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or your hands, gently mix in almonds. Freeze the dough: On a piece of waxed paper, form dough into a rectangular log, 12 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick.Wrap log in the paper, and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 months. If freezing longer than 1 day, wrap log again, in plastic wrap. Bake the shortbread: Preheat oven to 325°. Remove dough from freezer. (If dough has been in freezer a long time and is frozen solid, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes so it slices without crumbling.) With a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until edges just begin to turn golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely