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Kisses, Hugs & CookiesSo, as I wrote last time, last week for Cooking and a Classic I cooked Pretzel Hugs, Grinch Cookies, and Mint Kisses.

Pretzel Hugs

Pretzel HugsIngredients:

  • Hershey’s Hugs
  • Pretzels Snaps

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300
  2. line baking sheet with wax paper
  3. place pretzels on paper
  4. unwrap hugs, enough for each pretzel (I made 63 – one baking sheet worth)
  5. once oven is preheated pop in oven for about 2 minutes
  6. remove from oven and let sit for 1 minute
  7. top hugs with pretzels and press down, making sandwiches
  8. pop in fridge for 20-30 minutes to cool.

I had fun making these, despite hulking a few of the sandwiches. Easy enough that if I ever needed something for little kids to do, this could be totally up their alley. (For example we had a 5 year old at Thanksgiving who really wanted to help with the cooking. I think she would have loved this project, instead she helped put potatoes in a pot after we cut them. She really liked that too though, so whatever floats her boat I suppose.) Original directions found at cookies & cups blog, although I’m sure I could have figured it out. I so often forget these treats so credit given where it’s due…to pinterest.

Grinch Cookies

GrinchCookiesIngredients:

  • 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
  • 8 drops green food color
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup mint baking chips
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in both mint and chocolate chips.
  3. Using small spoons (teaspoons, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
  4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set.
  5. Remove from oven and cool.

Grinch BatterOriginal recipe found via pinterest which lead back to here. I made these before the mint-kisses and I like the coloring of the later better. Perhaps because it’s more natural? As far as not adding food coloring personally, but I do like the coloring of theses as well. Not like the mint kisses are naturally green, but I digress.

Mint Kisses

MintKissesIngredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups butter, room temperature
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped mint baking chips
  • granulated sugar
  • candy cane kisses

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and clear room in freezer or fridge for cookie sheet
  2. in large mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, butter, extracts and egg. Mix until creamy.
  3. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to wet mixture and combine thoroughly. Stir in chopped up baking chips.
  4. Shape dough into small bolls, roll in granulated sugar and place 1-in apart on cookie sheet.
  5. Bake for 10-12  minutes or until set
  6. When cookies come out of oven immediately press kiss into center of each cookie and set tray in fridge/freezer.

FreezerI made a dozen cookies, then I decided to make the rest using mini-cupcake tins (which I got since baking the poppers).  They made much cuter little cookies. I think I made them a bit ‘wrong’ since they didn’t turn out like the original blog entry. Granted I made a few adjustments, but even before the mint-chip substitution my mixture was smooth, not crumbly. That may have made them spread out more than they would usually. Which is why, of course, I used the mini-muffin tins.

If you try any of these, let me know how it works out for you! Until next time ~ Q

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