Melted-Elf Chocolate Cookies

Ah, it's cookie season, and I've started making cookies.

This time, I decided to make some crisp chocolate cookies, and for the heck of it, I used white wheat flour. Cookies are never going to be the healthy option, but using white wheat flour is an easy way to make them a little healthier.

Why melted-elf? Well, I decided to add some Hershey's Kisses to the tops of the cookies. I bought them with another idea in mind, but that didn't pan out. So I had the bag of kisses hanging around. After I put them on top of the cookies, I accidentally nudged one and it reminded me of a elf hat - but a melting elf hat.

I mean, it's possible that elves could melt, right? Anyway, I thought it looked sort of cute.

So I decided to do the same thing with all of the cookies.

And that's where I came up with the name.

Melted-Elf Chocolate Cookies

1 1/4 cups white wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I used Black Onyx)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
25 striped Hershey's Kisses

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, with an electric hand mixer, (or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) beat the shortening, sugars, and salt until fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture and stir to combine.

Using a 1 1/2-inch scoop, portion the dough onto the cookie sheets, leaving space between them - they will spread. (I own a freakish lot of scoops in different sizes, but the 1 1/2 inch scoop probably gets used the most. It's perfect for most of the cookies I make. Not too tiny and not too big.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set on the edges.

Remove the cookies from the oven and place a Kiss in the center of each cookie.

Transfer the cookies to cooling racks. As the Kisses melt a bit, push them sideways a bit to enhance the "melting" illusion.

Let the cookies cool completely before storing. The cookies themselves will be fully cooled before the kisses harden again. If you're in a hurry, you can refrigerate the cookies to set the Kisses. Or just let them rest at room temperature, until the Kisses harden. Then you can stack and store them.

I received a selection of Sweet Creations by Good Cook products for the purpose of making cookies. Mmmmm. Cookies. 

Ho ho ho, and Merry Cookies!

Yum