Candy Cane Blossoms

These are the most adorable looking cookies.  They taste as good as they look as well. These are a fun cookie to make.  They taste like a sugar cookie with a surprise mint flavor in the middle. The Candy Cane Kisses are delicious on their own, but when you add them to the cookies they are even better.  I will definitely add these to my list of holiday cookies to make each year.

Candy Cane Blossoms

Source

recipe from Hershey’s

1 bag Hershey;s Kisses brand Candy Cane Kisses

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons milk

Red and Green colored sugar

Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove wrappers from candies (approx. 35)

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg in large bowl until well blended.  Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternatively with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll in red and/or green colored sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 – 1o minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookies is set.  Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes.  Press candy piece into center of each cookie.  Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  Cool completely.  Yields approximately 35 cookies.

The first step is to put your butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla into a mixing bowl.

Beat until well blended.

The next thing you need to do is combine your flour, baking soda, and salt.  Also, put your milk into a small prep bowl.

                

Add the flour and milk alternatively to the butter mixture.  Make sure you cream this well.

It will look like this when you add the first additions of the flour and milk.

When you get it all incorporated in it will look something like this.

                  

Next get out whatever colored sugar you are going to use to roll these in.

Shape the dough into 1 inch size ball and roll into the colored sugar of your choice.

Put onto a cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown  in a preheated 350 degree oven.

They should look like this when they are done.  Let cool 2-3  minutes on cookie sheet.

After the 2-3 minutes press a Candy Cane Kiss onto the center of each cookie, remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Then you are ready to enjoy them!

I give this recipe plus out of 4……

Italian Christmas Cookies Recipe

These are one of my favorite cookies to make for the Holiday!  Ricotta cheese is a nice addition to these cookies.  They are a very moist cookie.  You can either frost or not frost them, they are great both ways.  They are also very easy to make and make a lot of cookies, which make a good recipe to take to a Holiday Party or to a cookie exchange.  I bet if you try these they will become one of your favorites.

Italian Christmas Cookies Recipe

Source

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups Imperial Sugar® / Dixie Crystals® Granulated Sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• FROSTING:
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 to 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
• Colored sprinkles

Directions

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in ricotta and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture.
•    Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
•    In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies and immediately decorate with sprinkles. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 8-1/2 dozen.

Put your softened butter and sugar into a large bowl.

Cream well!

Add eggs one at a time.

Beat well after each addition.

              

Next add your ricotta cheese and vanilla.

It should look like this after you beat it. It will be really fluffy at this time.

Slowly add in your flour, baking soda, salt, and I also add a teaspoon of baking powder.

Mix until the flour is well incorporated.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased or parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 9-11 minutes or until light brown.

While cookies are cooling make the frosting.  Put all ingredients for the frosting into a bowl and mix until smooth.  You may have to adjust the powdered sugar and milk to get it just right.

        

If you like you can add food coloring to the frosting.

I did add food coloring to my frosting.  I think it makes the cookies look beautiful!  I hope you will enjoy these as much as I do.

I give this recipe plus out of 4……