Sugar Cookie Candy Cane Blossoms are peppermint sugar cookies topped with Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses. They are a spin-off of the traditional Peanut Butter Kiss Blossoms. You will love these Candy Cane Blossom cookies because they are easy to make, delicious to eat, and perfect for your Christmas cookie swap!
Christmas is still more than two weeks away and I cannot begin to tell you how full I am from all the sweets. I've been baking up a storm for y'all so I can share some of my most favorite Christmas cookie recipes, including these Sugar Cookie Candy Cane Blossoms.
It's true that the first thing I always think about when seeing Hershey's Kisses are blossom cookies, especially Peanut Butter Blossoms. Well, how about Hershey Kiss cookies with no peanut butter? Better yet, how about Hershey Kiss cookies with sugar cookies? Let's go one more "better yet" and say Hershey Kiss cookies with PEPPERMINT sugar cookies!
That's exactly what we have here. A peppermint flavored sugar cookie as our base because I feel like we need the candy cane taste in the sugar cookies, too. So, I added a little bit of peppermint extract (you can find it in the spice aisle at your grocery store) to the cookie dough.
Tips for Making Candy Cane Blossoms
- Shape smaller cookies than you're used to making. Just a 1-inch dough ball will do or the kisses will look too small and the proportion of Kiss to cookie just won't be right.
- These cookies do not spread much, so flatten each dough ball (just a little!) with your fingers before baking.
- After removing cookies from the oven, wait only 2 minutes before applying the Kiss candy in the center.
- Immediately after placing the kisses on the cookies, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack so the Kisses won't melt from the heat from the pan.
- Try not to touch the Kiss candy after applying to the cookies until cooled.
These sugar cookie blossoms are rolled in sugar before baking, similar to peanut butter blossoms. It's totally optional, but I love the added sparkle. I also mixed in red and green sugar crystals to add some festive colors!
Sugar Cookie Candy Cane Blossoms
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar plus additional 1/2 cup for rolling dough balls
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon green sugar crystals (optional)
- 1 tablespoon red sugar crystals (optional)
- 46 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment or silicone mat.
- Cream together the butter and sugar for 1 minute. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in the sugar crystals (optional).
- Place additional 1/2 cup of sugar in shallow bowl. Using a small cookie scoop, spoon 1-inch dough balls into bowl of sugar and lightly roll to cover. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Using your finger, gently press each dough ball to slightly flatten. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Wait only 2 minutes, then place one Kiss candy on top of each cookie. Do not touch the Kisses after adding to the cookies. Immediately remove cookies from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely.
