For mint lovers! Use your cookie press to form a green, mint-flavored cookie and pop a chocolate star or Hershey’s Kiss in the middle. You can easily omit the mint and food coloring to have a simple buttery Spritz Kiss.
Ingredients
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
scant 1/4 teaspoon mint extract (I prefer a tiny bit less than 1/4 teaspoon, halfway between 1/8 and 1/4. Also, different brands extracts have different strengths. Add half, taste-test your dough and more if necessary)
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon green food coloring (this will make a light green as in the photos. Use more or less according to your preferences)
60 chocolate stars or Hershey’s Kisses
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 400F.
- In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, vanilla, and mint extract. (I suggest adding 1/8 teaspoon of mint extract at this point). Beat at medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add flour, beat at low speed, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste-test your dough and add the rest of the mint extract if necessary. Mix in green food coloring, adding just enough to achieve the desired color.
- Place dough in cookie press fitted with a star or flower disk (do not use a wreath disk that will leave a hole in the middle of the cookie). Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cold, ungreased cookie sheets with no parchment paper and no silicone mat (this will make the cookies form easier on the sheet).
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Immediately after removing cookies from oven place one chocolate star or Hershey’s kiss on each cookie, pressing in slightly. Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Do not touch the kisses, as they will completely melt and will need some time to solidify again (they will retain their shape).
- Allow cookie sheet to cool completely before forming more cookies on it (I pop mine in the freezer for a few minutes).
Notes
- I had a hard time deciding on an amount for the mint extract because I felt 1/4 teaspoon was too much and others thought they tasted bland with that amount! I chalk this up to both individual tastes but also to varying strengths of different brands of extract. Just taste test as you go along and add more if needed.
- If you’re not a mint fan, just leave out the mint extract to let the vanilla shine though. You could also add almond extract.
- You can make these two-toned by dividing the dough in half before adding the food coloring. Color half green and half pink.
- I would not do this with the Hershey’s Mint Truffle kisses because the mint would be overpowering. You could, however, pop those on a plain vanilla cookie or onto these Chocolate Spritz.