Today I’m sharing a recipe for one of my all time favorite cookies.  I am a HUGE fan of peppermint and chocolate and the beautiful combination of both ingredients in these Chocolate Mint Truffle Kiss Cookies makes for a decadent treat!  These easy to throw together cookies are a fabulous cookie to serve your family or friends and they make a beautiful addition to your Christmas cookie trays!

These chocolate cookies are chewy on the inside with a slightly crispy shell on the outside.  They have just 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract which gives them just a mild mint flavor, and the creamy mint truffle just melts in your mouth as you bite in to the cookie.  It is absolute heaven.

A couple of tips for this recipe:

• Make sure you use peppermint extract, not plain mint extract for these cookies.  Peppermint extract is the only mint extract I ever buy for baking.  The mint can make your baked goods taste toothpastey and no-one wants that! 
• Hersheys *mint truffle kisses are only available at the store during the holidays, so get your hands on some now and give these a try to see if they don’t become on of your favorite Christmas cookies this year!  
• *Note:  If you can’t find the Mint Truffle Kisses, you can substitute the Candy Cane Kisses, but the mint truffles are my favorite. 
• You can make these cookies using a small 1 Tablespoon scoop (directions below), or a medium 2 Tablespoon scoop.  I love the smaller cookies, but since you get about 60 cookies, you need about 60 of the Hershey’s Mint Truffle Kisses.  If you want to use the medium scoop you will only get about 30, larger cookies and subsequently will only need about 30 of Hershey’s Mint Truffle Kisses.  If you choose to make the larger cookies, they will need 10-11 minutes in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup Imperial margarine, room temp
• 2 eggs, room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract (do NOT use regular mint)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling
• About 60 unwrapped mint Hershey kisses (or 30 if you use the medium cookie scoop)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, (silicone mats will make the cookies spread more.)
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt
3. In your mixer bowl, cream together the granulated sugar, brown sugar and margarine for 3-4 minutes
4. Add the eggs, vanilla and peppermint extract and beat until well combined
5. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides as necessary
6. Place the additional 1/2 cup of sugar in a small bowl
7. Using a small 1 Tbsp cookie scoop, scoop the dough and drop it straight from the scoop in to the additional granulated sugar.  Roll them around with your fingers until well coated, then place them on a baking sheet about two inches apart
8. Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes.  While the cookies are baking, unwrap all your kisses. 
9. Remove from oven and immediately press an unwrapped Hershey Mint Truffle Kiss in to the middle of each cookie
10. Leave on the baking sheets about 10 minutes, then gently transfer them to a cooling rack until they are completely cooled.