Made with almond flour and maple syrup, these Gluten-Free Almond Kiss Cookies are a must for your holiday cookie tray!
Growing up there were always three cookies that we had to make during the holidays: Scottish shortbread, Norwegian krumkake, and Kiss cookies.
While the first two are old family recipes, the third was my mom’s addition.
Essentially, Kiss cookies are a hybrid of traditional thumbprints and peanut butter blossoms: you have the same dough base as a thumbprint, but instead of jam, you smush a Hershey’s Kiss in the center of each cookie while they’re still hot and fresh out of the oven.
Since you add the Kiss while the cookies are still hot, the chocolate gets nice and soft. So, when you go to take your first bite, you get a wonderful melty bite of chocolate and cookie.
Trust me, they’re really good!
Tips for making Gluten Free Almond Kiss Cookies:
- Not all Hershey’s Kisses are gluten-free! If you or someone you plan on giving these cookies to has Celiac disease or gluten-intolerance, make sure to only use a Hershey’s Kiss flavor that’s gluten-free. According to their website, the following flavors are gluten-free:
- Special Dark
- Traditional plain milk chocolate
- Hugs
- Caramel
- Cherry Cordial Cream
- Mint Dark Chocolate Truffle
- I haven’t tried this recipe using another type of flour. And as almond flour has some unique chemical properties, I don’t recommend using another type of flour.
- For a smoother consistency, use almond flour, not almond meal.
- Don’t use a granular sugar (like brown sugar or white) in place of the maple syrup as you do need the liquid from the maple syrup to get the right consistency.
- The cookies won’t look like they’re quite done on top, but if you check the bottoms, they should have a light golden brown.
- Try to press the Kisses into the cookies just after transferring the cookies to a cooling rack. If you wait too long, the cookies will start to harden a bit more and then crumble when you place the chocolate in the middle.
- To make these into traditional jam thumbprints, press your thumb into the cookie dough to create a small divot. Add about 1 teaspoon of jam into the center of each cookie, then bake for 10 minutes. You’ll want to let these cookies cool for at least 10 minutes to give the jam enough time to set.
Gluten-Free Almond Kiss Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 cups (208 grams) almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 24 Hershey’s Special Dark Kisses unwrapped
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well-combined. Slowly stir in the almond four and salt until just combined.
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Using a tablespoon, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches of space between cookies.
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Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are lightly golden. While the cookies are baking, remove the wrappers of your Hershey’s Kisses.
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Remove the cookies from the oven. Quickly transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and gently press a Hershey’s Kiss into each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool slightly, for 2 to 3 minutes before digging in. To store, let the cookies cool completely, then transfer to a glass airtight container. Store for up to 3 days at room temperature or 7 days in the fridge. Option to reheat cookies for 10 seconds or so to make the chocolate soft and melty again.
Notes
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