Description
Strawberry Kiss Cookies are delightful sugar cookies made with Funfetti sugar cookie mix, rich cream cheese, and topped with a sweet Hershey’s Strawberry Ice Cream Cone Kiss. These cookies are soft, festive, and perfect for any occasion. Coated in pink or white sanding sugar or non-pareils, they strike the perfect balance of sweetness and a fun texture, making them irresistible treats to enjoy warm or cooled.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 16 ounce bag Funfetti Sugar Cookie Mix
- 4 ounce cream cheese, softened (½ 8-ounce package)
- 1 large egg
Coating and Topping
- ½ cup pink or white sanding sugar or non-pareils
- 18 Hershey’s Strawberry Ice Cream Cone Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure even baking.
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat together the Funfetti sugar cookie mix, softened cream cheese, and one large egg until fully combined into a soft dough.
- Prepare the Coating: Pour the pink or white sanding sugar or non-pareils into a shallow bowl ready for coating the cookie dough balls.
- Scoop and Coat the Dough: Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out balls of dough. Drop each ball into the bowl of sanding sugar or non-pareils and gently roll until evenly coated and smooth.
- Optional Chill for Easier Handling: If the dough feels too sticky to scoop and roll easily, refrigerate or freeze it for 30-60 minutes. This step is optional but helps in handling the dough better.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the coated cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 ½ inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the edges are set and cookies appear firm but still soft in the center.
- Cool and Add Strawberry Kisses: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then gently press one unwrapped Hershey’s Strawberry Ice Cream Cone Kiss into the center of each cookie.
- Final Cooling and Serving: Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely, or serve warm if you prefer the Kisses slightly melted and gooey.
Notes
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Refrigerate cookies for up to 1 week or freeze for 2-3 months to extend freshness.
- Avoid covering or storing warm cookies as this can deform the chocolate kisses.
- Chilling the dough makes it easier to handle and less sticky before scooping.
- Coating hands and the cookie scoop lightly with sanding sugar can prevent sticking when shaping dough balls.
- The cooling time before adding the Kisses affects their softness: pressing them in immediately results in melted, softer kisses; longer cooling keeps kisses firmer.
- Use sanding sugar if you want a sparkly, textured coating; non-pareils add color and crunch but don't help with sticky dough handling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
