Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

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3 from 1 vote

Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

Chocolate mint crackle cookie topped with a candy cane kiss!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cookies

Servings: cookies

Calories: 69kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

1 (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips about 6 ounces
3 (105 grams) large egg whites room temperature
2 cups (227 grams) powdered sugar divided (can also use granulated sugar, I used powdered)
1/2 cup (42 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup (85 grams) chocolate chips
additional powdered sugar for rolling
24 chocolate kiss candies

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F/205^oC Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray (or silicon baking mat).
Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.
Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme.
Whisk in your second cup of sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue. Stir in peppermint extract, lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).
Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball (can coat in additional sugar if you want).
Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 8-10 minutes (don't overbake!). Immediately upon removing from the oven, press 1 Hershey kiss in the middle fo the cookie. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

Notes

If melting your chocolate in the oven, make sure to do so in 30-second intervals. Then stir in between each interval. The chocolate chips can hold their shape even though they are melted. So stirring, can ensure you are not over-heating and causing your chocolate to burn.
You want to make sure your egg whites are at room temperature before using them so they whip up fully. I place my whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using them.
To seperate your eggs, you want to do so one at a time in 2 separate bowls, not your main mixing bowl in case any egg yolk gets into the bowl. Egg yolks will prevent your egg whites from whipping. So do this one at a time, then add each egg white into your mixing bowl. The last thing you want is to seperate your last egg into your mixing bowl and get egg yolk into the whole batch and have to start over.
You need to have a completely clean and grease free bowl (same goes for the beaters!) so they can whip up. Any grease left behind from previous recipes will prevent your egg whites from whipping up. So give it a good scrub. I also like to wipe it down with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar before I start to be on the safe side. Whipping egg whites can be intimidating. If you want to become a pro in the kitchen, this is one of the lesson we cover in my Ultimate Baking Bootcamp class!
Make sure you have those Hershey Kisses unwrapped and ready to go! You need to smoosh the kisses into the center as soon as they come out of the oven. Once they cookies, cool they will be impossible to push into the center of the cookies.

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