Triple Chocolate Macadamia Nut

Kisses Cookies

December 4: National Cookie Day

Islander likes to “aloha-fy” regular recipes by using ingredients from Hawaii. For a holiday cookie exchange on the mainland, she wanted to bake a familiar-looking favorite yet subtly share her culture in a cookie.  She decided on “Hawaiian-izing” a chewy chocolate drop cookie studded with chocolate chips/chunks and topped with a chocolate honi (kiss).

While Hershey’s produces a variety of Kisses (classic milk chocolate, special dark chocolate, limited edition fruit flavors, etc.), only in Hawaii are the milk chocolate macadamia nut Kisses available. She adapted the company’s recipe and included sugars (granulated white and golden brown) from C&H (California and Hawaii brand), organic vanilla from the Big Island, finely ground ala’ea (Hawaiian sea salt) and exclusive milk chocolate macadamia nut Kisses from Hershey’s and Mauna Loa to bake this chocolate triple threat “tropical-ized” treat. It was  a crowd pleaser at the holiday cookie exchange, especially with chocoholics.

For National Cookie Day and all the upcoming Kalikimaka (Christmas) related events this month, try baking these triple chocolate macadamia nut Kisses cookies and give the gift of aloha this holiday season.

Recipe

(Adapted from Hershey’s)

Ingredients

• 3-4 dozen Kisses (we used Hershey’s-Mauna Loa milk chocolate macadamia nut Kisses)
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar (we used C&H brand, granulated white)
• ¾ cup brown sugar (we used C&H brand, golden brown)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa (we used Hershey’s brand)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt (we used Hawaiian sea salt, finely ground)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (we used Hershey’s brand semi-sweet)

Directions

Unwrap the Kisses and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a large bowl or mixer, cream the butter with the sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour mixture and blend well.

Fold in the chocolate chips/chunks. Roll one-inch balls from the dough. Place about an inch apart from each other on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until slightly flattened but set.

Remove the cookies from the oven.  While still hot, gently press a chocolate Kiss onto the center of the cookie. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Our wedding favors featured Hershey’s “Hugs”—milk chocolate and sweet white cream-swirled Kisses—to represent our mixed marriage.
• Thanks to Islander’s parents for a care package containing the ala’ea (sea salt) and milk chocolate macadamia nut Kisses from Hawaii. Thanks to Lisa L. for the bottle of Big Island vanilla.
• During our move to New Jersey from Oklahoma, we drove long distance but made a delicious detour to Hershey, Pennsylvania. Our short stop on “The Sweetest Place on Earth” included a tour of Hershey’s Chocolate World where we rode through a simulated factory and learned how Hershey harvests cocoa beans and processes them into their products, such as chocolate bars, Kisses and more! We enjoyed eating the free samples at the end, of course, and roaming around the candy store. Islander even climbed on the Kissmobile!