Have you ever thought about making something for your sweetheart for Valentine’s day? It is next week you know! I’m not talking about cheesy crafts. How about a candle light dinner? Why not make it a tradition and have a candle light dinner for the whole family? It’s crazy trying to eat out on Valentine’s day, much less find a sitter for the kids.
How about this year you plan a special family dinner and a fun family night at home before your kids get old enough to have their own plans? Then you and your sweetie can go out for a quiet dinner for two a day or two after the actual holiday. Today I am going to share a very simple cookie recipe that is quick and even includes a “kiss” just for Valentine’s day. I hope you like it as much as my family and I do.
Shortbread Caramel Kiss Cookies
by Kathy Marr
1 C Butter, softened
3/4 C Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 C All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 C Finely Chopped Pecans
36 Caramel-filled Milk Chocolate Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add vanilla, mix well. In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder, gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in pecans. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Immediately press chocolate kiss in center of each cookie. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
My teenage son gave these cookies two thumbs up and I have to agree with him. I used the small Pampered Chef cookie scoop to shape the dough. The dough was a little sticky and it worked great! The only problem I ran into was I ended up being two cookies short of the 36, but that just takes practice using the cookie scoop. Don’t listen to my family, they will probably try to tell you that I didn’t make the cookies too big I just ate too much cookie dough! Normally that would be true, but I was nice and didn’t eat any but just a nibble of dough.
Whoa! These look really tasty! Consider me “inspired.”