Another little St. Patrick’s Day Treat. I am not normally one to use a lot of food coloring, but made an exception today, so here we are — browned butter and almond with a dark chocolate Hersey’s kiss. The recipe makes quite a few cookies but it can he halved in case you don’t need so many. Cheerful, happy little cookies — emerald blossoms next to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. (or something stereotypical like that).
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
5 cups all purpose-flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
green food coloring*
For rolling
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
For the final piece
100 or so Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped and chilled (I used Special Dark). Recipe can be halved.
Directions
In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, heat butter over medium high heat. Swirl butter as it melts. It will foam up, and then become light brown and fragrant after about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn it, and immediately transfer to a separate bowl to cool. After the browned butter as cooled, add it to the bowl of an electric mixer with sugars and cream together on medium speed with the paddle attachment. Add eggs and extracts and mix until combined. Add in considerable green food coloring to make the wet ingredients Kelly green (it will lighten with the dry ingredients, so make sure it is really green). In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the dough on low speed, mixing until just incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.
Scoop dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar, then powdered sugar. Place the dough balls on prepared baking sheet and bake at 350F degrees for 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a Hershey’s Kiss in the middle. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, and let cool completely, and let the Kisses re-firm (they will become soft from the heat; avoid the temptation to tough them!). Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container.
*I’m making these as a St. Patrick’s Day Treat, hence the green, but you can just make these as normal Browned Butter Almond Crinkle Blossoms without the green.
