Description
Delight in the classic festive treat of Gingerbread Blossoms, chewy gingerbread cookies rolled in sparkling sugar and topped with a melty Hershey’s Kiss. Perfect for holiday baking and sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar (preferably dark)
- 6 Tablespoons (128g) unsulphured or dark molasses (preferably Grandma’s brand, not blackstrap)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Rolling & Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar or coarse sparkling sugar
- 30 Hershey’s Kisses or Hugs, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the softened butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until creamy and combined, about 3 minutes.
- Add Molasses, Egg, and Vanilla: Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract until fully combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which is normal.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: On low speed, add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. The dough will be thick.
- Form Dough Balls and Coat in Sugar: Scoop scant 1.5 Tablespoons (30g) of dough and roll into balls. Roll each dough ball in granulated sugar or coarse sparkling sugar to coat thoroughly. Place dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the edges appear set and slightly firm.
- Cool and Add Chocolate: Remove cookies from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a plate or tray that fits in your freezer. Press one unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss or Hug into the center of each warm cookie.
- Set Chocolate in Freezer: Place the plate(s) of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to quickly set the chocolate centers.
- Serve and Store: Remove from the freezer and serve immediately or store leftovers tightly covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- You can prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance by refrigerating it. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before scooping and rolling.
- Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months when stored in an airtight container.
- Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months; bake frozen dough balls for 13 minutes without thawing.
- Use coarse sugar for rolling to add extra crunch and sparkle on the cookies' exterior.
- Regular chocolate Hershey’s Kisses hold their shape best in the cookies; white chocolate Hugs melt faster, making the freezing step important.
- For plain gingerbread cookies without a chocolate center, skip adding the Hershey’s kisses and freeze step.
- Alternative toppings like chocolate chips, white chocolate morsels, or butterscotch chips can be pressed in the cookie centers instead of Hershey’s Kisses.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
