Description
These soft gingerbread blossoms feature the nostalgic flavors of warm spice and cozy molasses, with a melty chocolate kiss—or white chocolate hug—nestled in the center. This no-chill dough comes together quickly and bakes into perfectly spiced holiday cookies that disappear quickly!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I use dark)
- 6 Tablespoons (128g) unsulphured or dark molasses (I prefer Grandma’s brand; do not use blackstrap)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- for rolling: 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar or coarse sparkling sugar
- 30 Hershey’s Kisses or Hugs, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until creamy and combined, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. The mixture may look a bit curdled and separated; that’s ok.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. The dough is thick.
- Scoop and roll cookie dough into balls, a scant 1.5 Tablespoons (30g) of dough each. Roll each in granulated sugar or coarse sugar, and arrange at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until edges appear set.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Set the chocolate: Using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to a smaller tray or plate that will fit in your freezer. Press a chocolate kiss candy into the center of each, then place the plate(s) of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to quickly set the chocolate.
- Remove the cookies from the freezer and serve.
- Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let the chilled cookie dough sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before scooping and rolling. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cookie Scoop | Coarse Sugar | Cooling Rack
- Coarse Sugar: In step 5 when you coat the dough balls, you can use regular granulated sugar, but I like using coarse sugar for extra crunch and sparkle. In the photos, I used this sparkling sugar, but something like Sugar In The Raw works, too.
- Chocolate Kisses/Hug Candies: Regular chocolate Kisses hold their shape best. White chocolate Hugs are softer and melt more quickly, so the quick freeze step in step 8 is especially important.
- Can I Make These Plain Without the Chocolate Center? Yes. Simply bake as directed and skip step 8. Or, instead of a Hershey’s Kisses, you can press a few chocolate chips, white chocolate morsels, or butterscotch chips in the center.