Kiss Snowball Cookies
Kiss Snowball cookies are a holiday butter cookie built on the classic Russian tea cake or Mexican wedding cookie base: a rich, crumbly dough of butter, flour, powdered sugar, and finely chopped pecans or walnuts, rolled into balls and baked until pale and set. What sets them apart is the finish: a Hershey's Kiss is pressed into the center of each cookie the moment it comes out of the oven, then the whole cookie gets rolled in powdered sugar once cool, so the chocolate peeks out of a soft white coating that looks like a snowball with a dark berry inside.
Varieties
Red and green foil-wrapped Kisses are the standard choice for Christmas cookie trays, but dark chocolate, caramel-filled, or peanut butter Kisses all work the same way. The base dough can swap pecans for walnuts, almonds, or go nut-free; a nut-free version is sometimes called a plain snowball or butterball cookie when made without the kiss at all.
Buying tips
Buy Hershey's Kisses in the large baking bags rather than small snack bags; they're cheaper per piece and come in bulk quantities suited to a full cookie batch. Unwrap the full amount needed before starting so the kisses are ready the moment the cookies come out of the oven, since timing matters for getting a clean press without cracking the chocolate.
Substitutes
Rolo candies — 1:1
Same size and press-in method as a Kiss, but the center is caramel instead of solid milk chocolate; good for a chewier bite.
Miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped — 1:1
Works well if the dough already has ground peanuts or peanut butter mixed in; flattens slightly more than a Kiss so press it in gently.
Dark or semisweet chocolate wafer discs (like baking melts) — 1:1
A less sweet option than milk chocolate Kisses; use discs close to the same diameter so the cookie doesn't split around the edges.
Chopped chocolate chunk pressed into a mound — 1 chunk per cookie
Not a fixed size like a Kiss, so eyeball a piece roughly the size of a large gumdrop; melts a little differently but still gives a chocolate center.
Storage
Store finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, with parchment or wax paper between layers so the powdered sugar coating doesn't rub off onto the chocolate. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies before the final sugar coat, then thaw and re-roll in fresh powdered sugar before serving.
How to use
Standard holiday cookie tray addition, cookie exchange contribution, and gift tins since they hold their shape and travel well once fully cooled. Also good crumbled (minus the kiss) as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
What it pairs with
Pairs well with black coffee or espresso, which cuts the sweetness, and with hot cocoa or eggnog for a holiday cookie plate. Also good alongside plainer cookies like shortbread so the tray isn't all heavily sugared.
Nutrition
Each cookie runs roughly 80 to 100 calories depending on nut content and size, with most of that from butter and sugar rather than the small amount of chocolate. They're a treat meant to be eaten a few at a time, not a significant source of any nutrient beyond fat and sugar.
FAQ
Why press the Kiss in right after baking instead of before?
The cookie needs to still be warm and slightly soft so the kiss seats into it without cracking the cookie apart; pressing into a fully cooled, firm cookie tends to split the base.
Why did the chocolate on my Kisses crack after baking?
This usually happens when a cold Kiss straight from the fridge is pressed into a very hot cookie, or when it's pressed in too late after the cookie has already firmed up. Let both be closer to room temperature and press within a minute or two of removing the tray from the oven.
Can these cookies be frozen?
Yes, but freeze them before the final powdered sugar roll. The sugar coating absorbs moisture during freezing and thawing and turns patchy or wet if applied beforehand.
Can margarine replace the butter in the dough?
Not well. Margarine has a higher water content, which makes the dough spread more during baking and leaves the cookies greasy rather than crumbly, losing the shortbread-like texture the recipe depends on.
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