Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

I found the recipe for these cookies on a wonderful blog, Our Best Bites, here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/11/candy-cane-kiss-cookies.html ; although I haven't tried them yet, they look and sound like a wonderful addition to a holiday cookie tray, so I'm posting it here to add to my list of holiday cookies. If you don't care for the chocolate cookie recipe, you could substitute pretty much any drop cookie recipe, I'd think. But I must say the chocolate cookies look really good--there are photos at the original post. Times are estimated and do not include cooling time.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 48 cookies

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup shortening (butter flavor is recommended)
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter (not margarine)
• 1  cup brown sugar
• 1  cup sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons vanilla
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1⁄2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (or any dark chocolate chips)
• 4  dozen  Hershey candy cane kisses, unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugars together with a mixer for 1-2 minutes on medium-high or until light, fluffy, and well-blended.
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
4. In a small bowl, combine baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa. Add to egg mixture and mix until well combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake at 350° F for 8-10 minutes or until centers are set but still soft. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet 1-2 minutes.
8. Press an unwrapped candy cane kiss gently onto the center of each cookie. Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack until kisses have hardened. If kisses do not harden enough, cookies may be placed briefly in the fridge or freezer to harden the kisses.