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Share your favorite cookie recipes this holiday season.

The holidays are a wonderful time for baking treats. One of our favorites to share is this easy and delicious recipe for holiday treasure cookies that each come with a secret hidden delight.

My mother used to make these every holiday and store them in coffee cans in the cool cabinet in our kitchen. Being the organized German that she was, she took weeks to make dozens of Christmas cookies to share with family and friends. I have to admit that I would sneak into the cabinet and steal a few. I’m sure the tell-tale sign of the powder sugar trail gave me away every time. She never scolded me because she knew they were my favorites and still are to this day.

These wonderful treats have a crumbly, buttery outside hiding a delicious and surprising chocolatey burst inside. You can use any flavor of chocolate kisses you like or mix and match to enhance the surprise. I grew up with the standard milk chocolate Hershey kisses but now I prefer the dark chocolate kisses. Holiday and specialty flavor kisses would work well too.

We hope you try this recipe and it becomes one of your family’s favorites too.

Holiday Treasure Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Butter, softened
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Bag Hershey's Kisses (Any flavor, although we prefer Special Dark)
  • 1 1/2 cups Confectioner's Sugar

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla together until creamy, light, and fluffy.
  • Slowly add flour and blend well until flour becomes completely incorporated into the mixture forming a soft dough.
  • Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or more until quite firm.
  • While the dough is chilling, unwrap the kisses.
  • When the dough is thoroughly chilled, take a spoonful and work gently with fingers to create a ball then flatten the ball into a small patty. Place a kiss in the center of the patty then pull up sides to wrap around a kiss. When the kiss is completely covered, roll dough in your palms (like a meatball) to shape it back into the ball. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Repeat until all dough/kisses are in balls.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes (depending on your oven)or until dough is no longer gummy and bottoms are slightly golden.
  • Cool for a few minutes on a cookie sheet, then place on a rack to coolentirely. Meanwhile, put confectioner's sugar in a large bowl.
  • When cookies are cooled, roll in confectioner's sugar to coat. When you have finished all the cookies with one coating, repeat so that each cookie has 2 coats of confectioner's sugar and is covered all around.
Course: Dessert
Keyword: Cookies, Holiday

 

Holiday Treasure Cookies
Holiday Treasure Cookies the surprise is a chocolate kiss inside!

We hope you enjoy these little treasures. Watch out for the powdered sugar – it’s a bit messy but worth it!

If you’re looking for another terrific holiday cookie check out these Easy Chocolate Crinkles.

Happy Holidays!

THE QUICK BITE:  If you’re looking for a new holiday cookie recipe try the Holiday Treasure Cookie. There’s a chocolate surprise in every cookie. They’re sure to be a new family favorite.

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treasure-Cookies

Christmaskindlmarket Chicago
Christmaskindlmarket Chicago

Holidays tend to be full of traditions and one of my favorite traditions is when the Christkindlmarket opens in Chicago.  The Christkindlmarket in Chicago, which opened in 1996 was inspired by the Christkindlesmarkt in Nurenberg, Germany which started way back in 1545.

Roasting Nuts At Christkindlmarket Chicago
Roasting Nuts At Christkindlmarket Chicago

The Christkindlmarket is an outdoor market that brings the tastes and treats of a European market to the middle of downtown Daley Plaza.

Christkindlmarket Chicago
Christkindlmarket Chicago

When you get to the Christkindlmarket with Picasso’s sculpture as a backdrop you immediately smell the grilled bratwurst, potato pancakes, spiced nuts, and schnitzel wafting through the air. With all those special scents, you know you’ve arrived.

Prost!
Prost!

Warm gluhwein, hot chocolate, coffee, and German beer make a great first stop before beginning your journey through the many vendors. Gluhwein is typically red wine with spices such as cinnamon, cloves, citrus, and sugar that is served warm in a small mug. It’s a great way to help keep a bit warmer on a cold Chicago day. The adorable commemorative mugs for hot drinks cost a little extra but make fun collectible souvenirs.

Beautiful Christmas Ornaments!
Beautiful Christmas Ornaments!

We would suggest then strolling the market with your drink of choice. Whether you’re just window shopping or looking for the perfect holiday gift you’re bound to be pleased by the large variety and many selections of unique offerings. Handmade German Christmas ornaments are a popular item and lines of customers wait to go in and pick out just the right ones for their Christmas tree. Kathe Wohlfahrt has hundreds of hand-blown ornaments to choose from in a comfortable enclosed tent. There are many more ornaments, beer steins, Black Forest cuckoo clocks, nativities, music, toys, and crafts as you wander through the market.

Grilling the sausages!
Grilling the sausages!

One of our favorite things is the authentic food flavor of the Christkindlmarket! Many German specialties are here including grilled sausages, pretzels, schnitzel, strudel, potato pancakes, crepes, hot nuts, candies, gingerbread hearts – almost everything you can find in a German Christmas market.

Handcrafts for everyone.
Handcrafts for everyone.

People tend to be in great spirits, and willingly share where they got this or that trinket or treasure, where they’re visiting from, or things not to miss. There’s even a warming tent where you can enjoy your food and drink, rest your feet, and mingle with the other market folks. Don’t forget to visit Santa and the huge Christmas tree for terrific photo opps. There also are special events and musical performances at various times, so check the website schedule to see what’s happening and when.

Steins and more steins!
Steins and more steins!

The Christkindlmarket opens the weekend before Thanksgiving and runs through December 24th. Admission is free. They often open multiple locations in the Chicagoland area. Be sure to check their website for the latest information.

THE QUICK BITE: Experience a European Christmas market in Chicago at the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. Wander around the market full of tasty food, drinks, and beautiful holiday gifts.