Simple Holiday Hershey Kisses Tarts

 

Simple Holiday Hershey Kisses Tarts is my festive variation on my mom's Simple Fudge Tarts recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens 100 Best Cookies (2006). We had a handful of Hershey's Kisses, a bag of holiday M&M's, and some Betty Crocker cookie mixes leftover from baking our other cookie exchange cookies, so I decided to combine these ingredients and create something to fill the open space on our dessert tray.

Simple Holiday Hershey Kisses Tarts

A simple fudge tart made with holiday Hershey's Kisses, M&M's, and a whole lotta love!

Prep Time: 30 min

Total Time: 1 hr 20 min

Serves: 36 holiday tarts

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
• 1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
• 1 egg
• 36 Hershey's Kisses candies, unwrapped (I used Hershey's Kisses Candy Cane and Dark Chocolates filled with Mint Truffle)
• 1 c of M&M's® Mint Chocolate Candies
• 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional topping)

Baking Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Spray mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Make chocolate chip cookie dough as directed on package, using butter and egg. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 ball into each muffin cup.
3. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven; firmly press 1 Hershey Kiss candy into the center of each cookie. Let the candy settle for a couple of minutes. Top each with 3 M&M's. Cool for 20 minutes. Loosen edges of cookie with a fork and remove to cooling racks.

Optional: Place chocolate chips in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for about . Scoop melted chocolate into a resealable plastic bag and cut off a tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle chocolate over the holiday tarts. Let stand for about 10 minutes or until hardened. 

Chocolate Vanilla Delights

Every year, I help my mom bake holiday cookies and bars for our Christmas cookie exchange with my relatives. This year, I wanted to make something new for the exchange besides helping my mom prepare her caramel layer bars, chocolate pecan bark, mint chocolate coconut treats, and simple fudge tart recipes. Since I am a vanilla lover, I wanted to create a light cookie that had a sweet vanilla taste, but also has a little chocolate in it to satisfy both chocolate and vanilla lovers in the family. In the end, I created bite-sized Chocolate Vanilla Delights made with low-fat ingredients. Not only did I receive compliments from my family for my delicious desserts, but I also received the best gift of all, spending time with my loved ones over the holidays.     

  

Chocolate Vanilla Delights




Delightful chocolate and vanilla desserts that are the perfect size to satisfy your sweet tooth and your stomach. 

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time:  0 min

Ingredients

• ¼ cup fat-free skim milk
• 1 pkg. (1 oz.) fat-free vanilla instant pudding
• 18 vanilla sandwich cookies, finely crushed (about 1-½ cups)
• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate baking squares
• Small candies or nonpareils

Baking Instructions

1. Stir milk and vanilla pudding mix together in a medium bowl with a large spoon or whisk just until moistened. Next stir in the finely crushed cookies; mix well.
2. Next, shape into 36 (1-inch) balls by hand or use a mini cookie dough scoop and place them onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze for 10 minutes.
3. In the meantime, place unwrapped chocolate squares in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2-½ min. or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 sec. Dip cookie balls into melted chocolate using two forks until evenly coated; let excess chocolate drip into bowl.
4. Place chocolate covered cookie balls back onto cookie sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.
5. Sprinkle cookie balls with small candies or nonpareils. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
6. Ready to serve and enjoy!

Notes: Use a food processor to finely crush the sandwich cookies beforehand.

*Additional variations include using holiday sprinkles or crushed candy canes for a festive (or minty) add-on. If using one of these variations, drizzle sprinkles or crushed candy canes right after coating balls with chocolate, then refrigerate and serve. In the picture above, I crushed holiday M&M's and sprinkled them over the cookie balls.