Candy Cane Kiss Cookie Bars
User Reviews
5
Candy Cane Kiss Cookie Bars
Description
The Candy Cane Kiss Cookie Bars recipe features a classic cookie base made from butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, baking powder, and salt. Finely chopped Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses are blended into the dough, distributing minty peppermint bits throughout. The dough is pressed into a 9x13 pan and baked just until the edges develop a slight golden hue, avoiding overbaking to maintain tenderness.
After cooling, the bars are topped with a frosting combining cream cheese and butter whipped to a fluffy cream, sweetened with powdered sugar and enhanced with vanilla. Red food coloring gives a holiday appearance, and additional chopped candy kisses sprinkle the top, reinforcing the peppermint flavor and adding texture.
This recipe yields a festive dessert bar with a tender crumb, creamy frosting, and peppermint accents. It works well as a holiday party treat, in lunchboxes, or anytime a minty baked good is desired.
Ingredients
Bars:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 /2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses finely chopped
Frosting:
- 1/4 /4 cup butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 /2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
- red food coloring
- Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses about 2 tablespoons, finely chopped, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.
- For the bars: In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. Mixture will be thick. Mix in the chopped Hershey kisses.
- Press dough into the baking dish and bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges begin to have a touch of golden brown. Do not overbake! Remove from oven and let the bars cool in the pan.
- For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy. The mixture may seem dry at first but will become creamy after being beat for a while. Add a tablespoon of milk at a time until the frosting reaches the consistency you desire. Add a few drops of red food coloring and mix well. Frost cooled bars. Sprinkle with additional chopped candy cane kisses. Let set and cut into bars.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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