Almond Chocolate Kiss Cookies

These are a pleasant change from the peanut butter blossoms that are so popular. The recipe came from a friend I used to work for and I've loved these cookies ever since I first tried them in her home. This time around Caralie and I made them for Valentine's Day (thought the whole "kiss" thing was appropriate) so we added a little pink food coloring. I really like the look!

I tried and tried and tried to find the cherry cordial Hershey Kisses because I think they would be really perfect for this cookie, but even with the Valentine's holiday, they were nowhere to be found. So we stuck with the original milk chocolate Kisses. I like these cookies best when the Kisses are still melty from being in the oven. Delicious!

ALMOND CHOCOLATE KISS COOKIES

2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
4 tsp. milk
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 bag Hershey Kisses*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening, 3/4 cup sugar, and extract. Add egg and milk; beat till light and fluffy. Sift dry ingredients together and blend into creamed mixture. Roll into 1 1/2" balls; roll balls in 1/4 cup sugar until coated. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Remove cookies from oven, place a kiss in center of each cookie and then return to oven for 3 minutes more. Cool on wire rack.

*If you want to make enough cookies to use up the entire bag of Kisses, you will need to double or triple the recipe, depending on how big you make them. I made 1 1/2" balls and got 22 out of one batch.