Holiday Cookie Cravings

ROLO® Drop Cookies
Prep: 42 minutes
Bake: 8 minutes

1.Beat 2/3 cup butter and 1 cup sugar in large mixing bowl; add 1 egg, 1 tablespoon milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, blending thoroughly.

2.Stir together 1-2/3 cups of flour, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add to butter mixture, blending well.

3.Refrigerate dough 20 to 30 minutes or until firm enough to handle easily.

4.Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease. Remove wrappers from 36 caramel candies; set aside.

5.Divide dough into 36 equal balls (about 1 inch each). For each cookie, flatten ball slightly; press caramel candy into dough. Mold dough around candy, loosely closing dough over top of candy piece so part of candy is exposed. Place on prepared cookie sheets.

6.Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set. Do not overbake. Cookies will still appear moist in the center but will firm as they cool. Cool several minutes.

7.Slide parchment paper with cookies to wire rack or remove cookies from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Red Velvet & Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Prep: 15 minutes plus freezing
Bake: 10 minutes • Serves: 26

1.Adjust 2 oven racks to top and bottom positions; preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 rimmed baking pans with parchment paper. In medium bowl, whisk flour and cocoa.

2.In large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat 1 cup butter and granulated sugar 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, red food coloring and vanilla extract; beat 1 minute or until incorporated. Reduce speed to low; add fl our mixture and beat 1 minute or until incorporated, scraping down bowl occasionally.

3.Roll dough into 26 (1-1/2-inch) balls; place 2 inches apart on prepared pans. Press thumb into center of each ball to make indentation, making sure not to press all the way through; freeze 15 minutes.

4.Bake 10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are slightly browned, rotating pans between upper and lower racks halfway through baking. Cool cookies 10 minutes on pans, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

5.In medium bowl, with mixer on medium-low speed, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, green food coloring and remaining 2 tablespoons butter 2 minutes or until incorporated. Transfer cream cheese mixture to small zip-top plastic bag and snip bottom corner with kitchen scissors; pipe into indentations in cookies. Makes 26 cookies.

Approximate nutritional values per serving (1 cookie):
182 Calories, 11g Fat, (7g Saturated), 36mg Cholesterol, 19mg Sodium,
20g Carbohydrates, 1g Fiber, 11g Sugars, 10g Added Sugars, 2g Protein

Chef Tip:
If indentations in cookies rise too much during baking, gently press back down with back of measuring teaspoon while cookies are still warm.

Rainbow Brownie Peanut Butter Blossoms

Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 9 minutes

1.Heat oven to 375°. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2.Beat 1/2 cup of shortening and 3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar; beat until fluffy.

3.Add 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat well. Stir together 1-1/2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

4.Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in 1/3 cup of granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

5.Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a HERSHEY’S KISSES Rainbow Brownie into the center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack. Cool completely.