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cookies and cream blossom bars on a cooling rack

Cookies & Cream Blossom Bars

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  • Author: Stephanie
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 16 bars 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Dense and fudgy chocolate cookie bars topped with sparkling sugar and a cookies & cream Hershey’s Kiss! Perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday parties or for Santa’s plate on Christmas Eve.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder*
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon sparkling sugar, plus more for decorating (optional)
  • 16 Hershey’s Kisses Cookies ‘N’ Creme candies, unwrapped

Instructions

  1. Heat your oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract until just combined.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt until combined. Add to butter-sugar mixture; stir until just combined.
  4. Using greased hands or a spatula, press dough evenly into bottom and sides of prepared baking pan (the dough will be thick). Sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon sparkling sugar.
  5. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool for 7 to 10 minutes, then gently press Hershey’s Kisses into pan in 4×4 rows. Sprinkle with more sparkling sugar, if desired. Transfer pan to the fridge for 15 minutes (this important step ensures the Kisses won’t melt!). Remove from fridge; finish cooling completely on a cooling rack.
  6. Use a sharp knife to cut fully cooled bars into 4×4 rows. Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • *It’s important to use Dutch-process cocoa powder in the cookies for that rich, deeply chocolaty flavor and color. Here is my favorite Dutch-process cocoa powder, though Hershey’s Special Dark works great, too.
  • Recipe adapted from Delish.