Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract (optional, for intensified flavor)
- 1/4 cup finely crushed freeze-dried strawberries
- 2-3 drops pink food coloring (optional, for vibrant color)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
- 24 small chocolate drop candies (e.g., Hershey's Kisses or similar, unwrapped)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and optional strawberry extract until well combined. Stir in the finely crushed freeze-dried strawberries and the optional pink food coloring until evenly distributed. The mixture should have a lovely pink hue.
- Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This helps prevent spreading during baking.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and roll them into smooth balls. Roll each dough ball generously in the powdered sugar until fully coated.
- Place the coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set but still look soft. The cookies will puff up slightly.
- Immediately upon removing the baking sheets from the oven, gently press one unwrapped chocolate drop candy into the center of each warm cookie. The chocolate will soften and adhere.
- Return the cookies to the oven for another 2-3 minutes, just long enough for the chocolate to become slightly glossy and soft, but not fully melted and collapsed.
- Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The chocolate will firm up as they cool.
Notes
For the best strawberry flavor and color, use high-quality freeze-dried strawberries that are finely crushed into a powder. A food processor or blender works wonders for this! If you don’t have strawberry extract, you can omit it, the freeze-dried berries still provide great flavor. These easy strawberry kiss cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies (without the chocolate candies) for up to 3 months; add the candies after thawing and a quick re-bake.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg