Thumbprint Cookies with Cupcake Hershey’s Kisses

Cupcakes are kind of my thing. When I was a senior in college, my favorite bakery had a cupcake costume contest on Halloween so of course I entered. I was the oldest participant by far and lost to a cute 5-year-old, but I got a free cupcake out of it so that’s a win! And honestly, I planned on making that costume after seeing a Pinterest DIY even before I knew about the competition. Let’s just say this was one of those Pinterest ideas that didn’t turn out exactly like the photo—or at all. It was pretty bad haha. But anyways, now you have an idea of how deep my love for cupcakes goes. That’s why I couldn’t resist these cupcake-flavored Hershey’s Kisses while checking out the Valentine’s Day aisle at Target. I expected that I would be disappointed and fooled by the marketing, but they were actually delicious and so addicting! They remind me of the cookies ‘n’ cream flavor because of the white chocolate and how sweet they are. Plus I like the little crunch that they have! Rather than eating the entire bag, I decided to put them to good use by making some pretty pink thumbprint cookies!

This recipe was going really smoothly until it came to the decorating. My original idea was to drizzle the melted almond bark over the cookies, but that turned out to be a big mess. It looked more like one giant glob instead of thin, even lines, so I decided to dip the bottom instead. This was much easier and I love how they turned out! Part of baking is not being afraid to mess up, especially when you’re learning. Not everything I make comes out perfectly—trust me I’ve had quick breads cave in from being under baked, chocolate chip cookies fall flat and many more kitchen fails. Sure I’m upset that I wasted my time and ingredients, but now I will never make those mistakes again! I like the challenge of perfecting a recipe and learning what makes it work or not work. One thing I love about these thumbprint cookies is their versatility (see, this is even a recurring theme in my baking posts, not just fashion!). They can easily be customized for a specific holiday or occasion just by switching up the kisses and food coloring.

Print Recipe

Thumbprint Cookies with Cupcake Hershey's Kisses

Servings

20 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 bag cupcake Hershey's Kisses unwrapped
• 8 oz. vanilla-flavored almond bark
• pink food coloring
• sprinkles

Servings 20 cookies Ingredients 1 cup butter 1 cup powdered sugar 2 egg yolks 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. almond extract 2 1/4 cups flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1 bag cupcake Hershey's Kisses unwrapped 8 oz. vanilla-flavored almond bark pink food coloring sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats, then set aside.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter. Then add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add egg yolks, vanilla and almond extract, stirring until combined.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb to make an indent in the top if each dough ball. Bake for about 10 – 14 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Once they are somewhat cool, lightly press a Hershey's kiss into the center to re-form the well. You don't want to place them yet, because the warm cookies will just make them melt. Once they have cooled, gently press the kiss into the well.
5. Line two baking sheets with wax paper, set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl melt the almond bark, stirring every 30 seconds. Add a few drops of food coloring and mix until it's evenly distributed. Dip the bottom and lower sides of the cookies, then place onto prepared baking sheet and decorate with sprinkles. Let harden before serving.