A different take on Hershey’s Kiss chocolate cookies, these cute Peppermint Flower Crinkle Chocolate Cookies are the perfect Christmas cookie.

Well, if you’re not into Christmas cookies, you’ll want to make room for these Peppermint Flower Crinkle Chocolate Cookies.

I know the name is a little long, but I can’t leave out any part of this deliciousness, can I?

These delicious and decadent cookies are chocolate-flavored.

Mint-flavored.

They’re crunchy.

And they have flowers.

Referencing, of course, the cute flower pattern you get when you artfully place that Hershey’s kiss on the warm, soft, baked cookie.

I love flower cookies (classic peanut butter flower cookies here and this amazing flower s’mores variation here).

And this crunchy chocolate version is so, so yummy (not to mention pretty and festive!).

I first shared this recipe exactly one year ago in a newsletter I sent out to my loyal subscribers (if you’re not signed up for newsletters, you can do so here!).

Over the past 12 months, the newsletter subscriber list has more than doubled, so I thought it was time to send this perfect holiday cookie to everyone.

I couldn’t live with myself if I knew so many of my favorite people would go through life without this cookie.

While the candy cane-striped Hershey’s Kisses make this Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Flower Cookie ultra-festive, you can use almost any flavor of Hershey’s Kisses.

I guess that means we can add “full” to the list of features of this cookie.

Omit the peppermint extract from the cookie dough and add a dark chocolate Hershey’s Kiss, and you can go ahead and serve me this cookie all year long.

Also, if you are adamantly opposed to Hershey’s Kisses (or just don’t have them on hand and the thought of mustering the energy to put on pants and go to the store is too much to even consider), the soft, powdered sugar-coated crinkle cookies are fantastic on their own.

I just had to say it.

I hope you love these amazing cookies! They truly are as amazing as everyone has said.

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Blossom Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies

Prep Time: 20minutes

Cook Time: 10minutes

Total Time: 30minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened
• 106 grams or ½ cup of packed light brown sugar
• ⅔ cup (141 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 ⅔ cups (237 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (43 g) naturally unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (85 g) miniature chocolate chips
• ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar, for sprinkling
• 24 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped and frozen (see note)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use parchment paper to line two large baking pans, or spray nonstick cooking spray gently.
2. In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat together the shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Mix until the batter lightens, 2-3 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the miniature chocolate chips.
5. Mixing until well blended, add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.
6. Transfer the powdered sugar to a plate or shallow basin.
7. Form the dough into heaping tablespoon-sized balls (I use my #40 cookie scoop) and roll them out into a smooth ball (if the dough is too sticky, let it rest for 10-15 minutes or refrigerate for a few minutes… I usually take them out and roll them out right away because I’m so impatient).
8. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar, shaking off any excess, and place several inches apart on baking sheets.
9. Bake for 9 minutes, until puffed and crisp (don’t overbake!). Remove the baking sheet from the oven. In the center of each cookie, press one unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss right away. To cool completely, remove the cookies and place them on a wire rack.

Notes

Kisses: I highly recommend the Hershey’s candy cane variety for this cookie. Also, freeze the kisses unwrapped so they hold their shape better after you place them on the warm cookies.