Hershey's Kiss Surprise Cookies

Here are some excellent Christmas cookies. They all start with a classic milk chocolate Hershey's kiss. This gets encased with a decadent chocolate chip cookie dough and baked. Then, a final drizzle of melted chocolate and these cookies - a chocolate lover's dream - are ready to be devoured. Actually, I usually skip this final step, it really isn't necessary, the cookies are still divine without it. Usually the cookies aren't around long enough to withstand a chocolate drizzle anyway. It is fun to see peoples' faces light up when the bite into a cookie, thinking it is just a regular chocolate chip, and then they discover the surprise Hershey's kiss inside! My mother made this delicious batch of cookies, yum!

Hershey's Kiss Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 bag (10 ounces) Hershey's kisses milk chocolates
1 cup (two sticks) butter or hard margarine, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Hershey's miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Drizzle (optional)
1/4 cup Hershey's miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

Remove wrappers from Hershey's kisses. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375◦F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugars, and vanilla. Add flour, blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll scant tablespoons of dough around each chocolate kiss, covering completely. Shape into balls, place on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until set. remove from cookie sheets and cool, then drizzle with chocolate drizzle, if desired.

In a small microwaveable-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening together on high (100%) for 30 seconds, stir until smooth. If necessary, reheat for an additional 20 seconds at a time, until chocolate is smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Makes approximately four dozen (48) cookies.