Description
Gingerbread Blossoms are classic holiday cookies featuring a soft gingerbread dough rolled in sugar and topped with a melting Hershey’s Kiss in the center. These festive treats combine warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves with rich molasses for a chewy yet tender texture, perfect for holiday gatherings or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry 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
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar (dark preferred)
- 6 Tablespoons (128g) unsulphured or dark molasses (prefer Grandma’s brand; do not use blackstrap)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Rolling and Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar or coarse sparkling sugar
- 30 Hershey’s Kisses or Hugs, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until creamy and fully combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients: To the creamed mixture, add molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl sides and bottom as needed and beat again to combine. The batter may look slightly curdled, which is normal.
- Combine Flour Mixture: Slowly add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. The dough will be thick.
- Form Dough Balls: Scoop and roll the dough into balls using about 1.5 tablespoons (30g) for each ball. Roll each ball in granulated or coarse sugar until coated.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the rolled dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart to allow spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Cool Slightly: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set.
- Add Chocolate Centers: Using a thin spatula, transfer the cookies to a smaller tray or plate that fits in your freezer. Press one unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie.
- Freeze to Set Chocolate: Place the tray of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to quickly set the chocolate.
- Serve: Remove cookies from the freezer and serve immediately, or store leftovers at room temperature tightly covered for up to 1 week.
Notes
- You can make the dough up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it, letting it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before scooping.
- Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months; freeze unbaked dough balls as well and bake them straight from the freezer with an added minute of baking time.
- Use coarse sparkling sugar for extra crunch and sparkle when rolling the dough balls.
- Regular chocolate Kisses hold their shape best as cookie toppers; white chocolate Hugs melt faster, so freezing is especially important.
- For plain cookies without chocolate centers, bake as directed but skip adding the Hershey’s Kisses.
- You can substitute the Kisses with chocolate chips, white chocolate morsels, or butterscotch chips if preferred.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats for easier removal and cleanup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 75 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
