Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies

A couple weeks ago we had a special event at work and I wanted to bring a baked good to get everyone excited! So I set off to find a fall cookie. I saw something similar on pinterest and then googled around a little bit to find something I liked. The original recipe I saw utilized spice cake, pumpkin puree, and then the pumpkin pie kisses. Since I thought this would be a fun "date night at home" I wanted to find a recipe that required more ingredients and let us have more to do in the kitchen rather than just mixing a few ingredients together. Out came the stand mixer! Patrick and I got started on these cookies after dinner and really enjoyed making them... after we unwrapped 40ish individual kisses. The cookie base is more cake-like and the pumpkin pie kisses just set off these fall dessert bite.

Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies from Ginger Bread Bagels blog
makes about 65 cookies (we cut in half)

1 1/2 packages Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Kisses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Unwrap the Pumpkin Spice Kisses. (about 65 of them) Place them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This is important because the Pumpkin Spice Kisses melt much faster than the regular Kisses.
   Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Set aside. In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter, sugar and light brown sugar on medium high speed for 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and mix to combine. Then add in the vanilla extract and the pumpkin. Mix on medium speed for a couple of minutes.

In action

   Slowly add in the dry ingredients on low speed. Mix until it’s almost combined. Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together.
   Using a Tablespoon, scoop the cookie dough. Then use a spoon to scoop the dough out of the Tablespoon. The cookie dough will be sticky so don’t worry. Place the cookie dough balls onto the baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
   Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes.
   Once the cookies come out of the oven, press a Pumpkin Spice Kiss in the middle of each cookie.
Immediately (and carefully!) remove the cookies from the baking sheet with a spatula and cool them on a cooling rack.

Whip these up Thursday afternoon and enjoy them throughout the evening! Happy Thanksgiving!