chocolate peppermint blossoms + chocolate bourbon balls

I'm baaack! I know my long absence is inexcusable. Between finals, grading, traveling back home for Christmas, and a few long good-byes it's been some long weeks of pure insanity. Nevertheless, between all that craziness I did have time for a cookie swap last Friday night and I made these Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms plus a batch of Chocolate Bourbon Balls.

Now that the semester is largely over there is much more cookie baking/candy making/crafting to come. But, in the meantime, here are a few recipes to get your started...

Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, cut into chunks
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar for rolling
Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses

Directions:
Line cookie sheets with parchment. Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and extracts, beating until combined and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Gradually, add the flour mixture, beating on low just until combined. The mixture will be very sticky.

Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Use a teaspoon cookie scoop (or a spoon) to scoop generous teaspoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Place the powdered sugar on a plate.

Gently roll each ball of dough through the powdered sugar until coated.

Place back on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes, until puffed and crinkly. (Meanwhile, unwrap the Kisses.)

Remove from the oven and immediately press a Hershey's Kiss on top of each hot cookie. Press firmly, so that it doesn't pop off. Let the cookies sit on the sheet for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Yield: ~2 dozen

Source: slightly adapted from Bake at 350

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Chocolate Bourbon Balls

Ingredients:
2½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs – like Nilla wafers
½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup pecans, finely ground in food processor
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces or chips
½ cup bourbon
3 Tbsp light corn syrup
Granulated sugar, for rolling

Directions:
Place cookie crumbs, powdered sugar and ground pecans in a large bowl and stir to combine.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave (30 second increments at 50% power, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth). Stir in the bourbon and corn syrup. Add the chocolatemixture to the dry mixture and stir well to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes. Place some granulated sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Roll the mixture between your palms into 1-inch balls (I used my small cookie scoop), then roll in the granulated sugar to coat. Place the balls in an airtight container, separating layers with aluminum foil or wax paper, and allow flavors to develop by sitting at room temperature overnight. Place in small paper cups to serve, if desired.

Yield: ~3 dozen balls

Source: Brown Eyed Baker