Nutella Blossoms (with Peppermint Kisses)

Hi friend.

I have more cookies for your face today. Also…there’s peppermint involved. Because it’s Christmas and this is just what happens. It’s a fact of life I could definitely be getting used to.

The vast majority of food prepared in my kitchen these days seems to be cookies. I can’t see anything wrong with this. Unless you’re here to argue that cookies and wine isn’t a balanced dinner. In which case…I don’t even know what to do with you. Seriously.

Throwing flour everywhere and waiting for more butter to soften than I should ever admit feels like the only right way to end 2012. I’m already thinking about 2012 ending…because these days are moving faster than I can keep up with. It seems like the best way to stall time. Or just another excuse for cookies. I dunno.

The truth is, I have a definite Christmas cookie favorite. It’s the peanut butter cookie with a kiss in the middle. My childhood is somehow to blame…because these have been my favorite for exactly ever.

I made a double batch of peanut blossoms with my mom on Sunday afternoon. And because I can’t leave well enough alone this year, I made another batch and swapped peanut butter for Nutella. And traditional Hershey kisses for the white chocolate peppermint version.

Oh, heavens. These cookies are all sorts of trouble.

The Nutella batch wasn’t quite as thick and pillowy as the peanut butter. (Can you describe cookies as pillowy? Or is that a marshmallows only term?) (Deal with it.)

Also, the white chocolate kiss melts into a puddle in the middle of these cookies. I’m not complaining about this even a little. I like the more even chocolate to cookie ratio. It just feels like something that ought to be disclosed.

These cookies have the perfect hint of chocolate without getting in your face and overwhelming things. It’s definitely Nutella…it’s a magic product.

I also feel like I should tell you that I’m really not planning on eating cookies from now until Christmas. (I think.) There’s a breakfast casserole happening in my world this week, and I can’t wait to demand politely that it make your Christmas morning breakfast menu. (No bigs.)

But first…more cookies.

Nutella Blossoms (with Peppermint Kisses)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Nutella
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
48 peppermint Hershey Kisses

Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add Nutella, egg, milk and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) and stir/beat to combine. (The dough will still feel fairly sticky here. As long as you can form round balls with it, you’re alright. If you can’t, add up to an additional 1/4 cup flour.) Roll dough into 1″ balls, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 8-10 minutes. Immediately after removing from oven, place an unwrapped Hershey kiss in the center of each cookie. Press down gently. Let cookies cool slightly on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.