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Festive Sweet-Heat Holiday Peck Treats
These Spiced Chocolate-Topped Treats have found their way into my yearly holiday baking lineup. There's something truly special about pairing warm, zesty gingerbread with those cute striped chocolate pecks. Whenever I take these to gatherings, they vanish faster than anything else on the table.
A Treat That Spreads Seasonal Happiness
It makes me smile seeing everyone's reactions when they taste these goodies. The mix of snug spices and mellow chocolate makes each bite feel like Christmas. They're super enjoyable to prepare and always add some festive flair to any dessert collection.
Your Grocery Checklist for Baking Triumph
- Unsalted sweet cream butter: Sets the base for that rich, melt-in-mouth feel.
- Light brown sugar: Adds that honey-like sweetness in every mouthful.
- Molasses: This delivers the signature spicy-sweet taste I adore.
- Egg: Gives us that wonderful soft texture.
- Flour: Forms the backbone of our treats.
- Ground ginger: The headliner in our spice mix.
- Cinnamon: Brings that homey warmth everybody craves.
- Ground nutmeg: A tiny bit enhances everything else.
- Allspice: My hidden gem for extra seasonal charm.
- Kosher salt: Evens out the spicy and sweet elements.
- Baking soda: Makes for perfectly tender treats.
- Vanilla extract: Provides that nice mellow background note.
- White sanding sugar: Dresses our treats in a glittery winter coat.
- Chocolate striped Hershey Kisses: The ideal finishing touch.
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Crafting Your Seasonal Wonder
- Prep Your Mix
- Warm your oven to 350ºF and get your cookie sheets ready. Combine your flour with all those delightful spices in a bowl.
- Whip Up Cookie Wonder
- Beat your brown sugar and butter until light then stir in molasses egg and vanilla. Gradually mix in your spiced flour combo until it all blends nicely.
- Roll and Coat
- Form your mix into balls roll them in sparkly sugar and place them on your sheets. Bake them around 8 minutes till just right.
- Top It Off
- As soon as they come out push those pretty striped chocolates right into the middle. Let them cool fully before enjoying.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → When's the best time to add chocolate kisses?
Put the chocolate kisses on when cookies are cooling, about 2-3 minutes after pulling them from the oven, so they don't melt too much.
- → Can I prep the dough early?
Absolutely, keep the dough in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Warm it a little before shaping cookies.
- → What’s making my cookies spread so much?
If your butter is super soft, it might cause spreading. Try using chilled dough and don't flatten the shapes too much.
- → Can I freeze these cookies ahead of time?
Sure, store baked cookies in the freezer without adding chocolate kisses. Finish with kisses after thawing and lightly reheating them.
- → What if I can’t find striped kisses?
Regular kisses work wonderfully. You can also experiment with other kiss flavors like caramel or dark chocolate if you’d like a twist.