I also have some really yummy looking Hershey’s Kiss Cookie and Treat recipes with a twist below to share with you. You can visit the Hershey’s Kisses Cookies website for more mouth watering holiday cookie recipes and yummy holiday desserts and treats.

Midnight Chocolate Cheesecake Cookie Cups

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa or Hershey’s Cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Chocolate Filling (recipe follows)
• Whipped topping or sweetened whipped cream
• 42 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolates, unwrapped and divided

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Paper or foil line 30 small (1-3/4 inch diameter) muffin cups.
2. Beat butter and shortening in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually blend into butter mixture, blending well.
3. Drop rounded teaspoonful of dough into each prepared muffin cup. Using back of spoon, push dough up sides of muffin cup forming crater in cup. (If you are having difficulty with this step, refrigerate pans for about 10 minutes and then continue.) Prepare Chocolate Filling; evenly divide into muffin cups. (Cups will be very full.)
4. Bake 15 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, top each cheesecake cup with whipped topping rosette and chocolate piece. 30 dessert cups.

Chocolate Filling: Beat 2 packages (3 oz. ea.) softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until well blended. Beat in 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place 12 chocolates in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at Medium (50%) 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chocolates are melted and smooth when stirred. Cool slightly, blend into cheesecake batter.

Recipe makes 30 dessert cups.

Double Kisses Truffles

• 28 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons whipping cream
• 10 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates filled with Caramel
• 1 cup ground pecans

1. Remove wrappers from milk chocolates. Place milk chocolates and whipping cream in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at Medium (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at Medium 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chocolates are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Cover; refrigerate 4 to 6 hours or until firm.
2. Remove wrappers from caramel filled milk chocolates. Using about 1 tablespoon of milk chocolate mixture for each truffle, shape chocolate around each caramel chocolate piece; roll in hand to make ball. (Be sure to cover each chocolate piece completely.) Roll in pecans; refrigerate until ready to serve. For best chocolate flavor, allow truffles to soften at room temperature about 5 minutes before eating.

Recipe makes ten truffles.

Even if you don’t win Hershey’s Ultimate Exchange Cookie Party you can host your own cookie exchange party this holiday season, they’re tons of fun!

Here are some tips from Hershey’s for planning a successful cookie exchange party yourself.

• Remind each guest of the total number of guests, and ask each to bring one dozen cookies for everyone. If the group is large, consider reducing this quantity to a half-dozen – more than 10 dozen cookies may overwhelm some guests.
• Encourage all participants to bring plenty of printed recipe copies so the recipe exchange can begin, along with an empty, sealable container to take home new treats.
• For a festive touch, play a favorite holiday CD during the party and display a set of holiday gift tags and pens so guests may label their goodies.
• Be sure to offer refreshments, but keep it simple. Consider making something the night before that can be reheated for the party. Plan to serve a holiday beverage, such as hot Hershey’s® Cocoa or warm apple cider, along with standard beverages such as coffee, tea, juice and milk.
• For added fun, turn the cookie exchange into a cookie gifting party. Set out gift tags, gift bags, ribbons, and festive Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates wrapped in holiday-colored foils, and invite guests to make sweet gifts for co-workers, neighbors, teachers and friends.
• Have guests vote for “The Cookie Santa Can’t Refuse” or “Most Decorative Cookie,” and award prizes to each winner.
• Supply extra plastic bags or containers for guests to transport their cookies home. There are bound to be some participants who forget to bring their own.
• For a perfect party favor, consider asking guests to provide their recipes in advance, and print them out on festive paper to compile homemade recipe books.
• Additional cookie exchange tips are available at KissesCookies.com.

Images tips and recipes courtesy of Hershey’s

Post from: She Knows Parties

I’ve looked at several different options. We’re talking about making cookie favors for a 50th wedding anniversary. For the anniversary party I think we’re going to put the couples name and “50 years.”

Personalized cookie favors would also be wonderful for a wedding, corporate party, or birthday party.

• Personalize with the couples name and wedding date for wedding cookies
• A message from the bride and groom would also be wonderful for a wedding.
• The corporate slogan (if it’s short) would work well for a corporate party.
• The birthday person’s name or age would be fun for a birthday party.
• If the party has a theme, something related to the theme would remind the guests of the fun they had at your party.

It’s such a simple concept, but there are so many ways you could use personalized cookies to help make your wedding or party memorable and unique.

Images via Cake Girl at Flickr

Post from: She Knows Parties

Image (c) L Gerlach

One of my favorite cookie favor ideas is a cookie sandwich. I made the cookie sandwich pictured here with Monster Cookies, and my favorite butter cream icing. You can also use a premade icing, or ice cream to sandwich between your cookies.

Ice cream would make a wonderful cookie sandwich summer treat.

Post from: She Knows Parties

The first cookies are miniature wedding cakes with wonderful detail.

Image via Flickr creative commons Manassas Cakery

Check out these monogrammed wedding favor cookies, it’s a great idea for showing off your new name. You can recreate this look yourself with royal icing, a piped border, and someone who’s good at piping with a steady hand to do your monogram!

Image via Flickr cc Cake Girl

The last cookie wedding favors I have for you are a really cute mix of quilted cookie hearts, mini cookie wedding gowns, and cookies with a gumpaste image of the bride and groom. They’re waaay too cute!

Image via Flickr cc Cake Girl

Flickr is a great place to go if you’re looking for wedding favor ideas, wedding cakes, or any other type of decorated cake, cookie, or cupcake. There are several fabulous cake decorators with portfolios of beautiful unique cakes. When I’m looking for cake inspiration, it’s one of the first places I look.

Post from: She Knows Parties

It’s not too early to get started on holiday baking. Many cookie recipes can be made ahead, then frozen for a few weeks. Then just pull them out a day or two ahead of when you need them, ice them, and you’re ready to go.

Cookies are great for holiday gatherings, just make an assortment, put them on a holiday tray, and watch them disappear. They also make great gifts wrapped in a decorative cookie tin, and don’t forget to put a few out for Santa!

Here’s a variety of fun Christmas cookies. I tried to include a little bit of everything.

1. Snow Globe Cookies
2. Frosted Reindeer Cookie
3. The Best Christmas Sugar Cookies
4. Candy Cane Cookies
5. Tiffany Snowflake Butter Cookies
6. Mexican Wedding Cookies
7. Eggnog Snickerdoodles
8. Cookie Skates
9. Stained Glass Cookies
10. Gingerbread Men
11. Old Fashioned Fruitcake Cookies
12. Brown Sugar Shortbread Christmas Trees
13. Almond Crescents
14. Christmas Eve Mice
15. Swedish Christmas Cookies
16. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
17. Christmas Shortbread Wreath
18. Chocolate Peppermint Meringue Kisses
19. Santa’s Snowflakes
20. Christmas Cookie Ornaments
21. Lemony Glazed Cream Cheese Cookies
22. Christmas Chocolate Chip Butter Cookies
23. Classic Christmas Spritz Cookies
24. Mint Cookie Pops
25. Christmas Biscotti
26. Chocolate Blossoms
27. Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies
28. Poinsettia Cookies
29. Meringue Snowflakes
30. Snowball Cookies
31. Jolly Santa Cookies
32. Holiday Ribbon Cookies
33. Colorful Christmas Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
34. Meringue Santa Hats
35. Cornflake Christmas Wreaths
36. Christmas Cookie Train
37. Pecan Tassies
38. Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
39. Almond Snow Cookies
40. Christmas Shortbread Cookies
41. Peppermint and Vanilla Butter Cookies
42. Holiday Wreaths
43. Gingersnap Cookies
44. Chili Pepper Christmas Cookies
45. Gingerbread People
46. Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
47. Beautiful Snowflake Cookies
48. Gingerbread House Cookies
49. Holiday Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
50. Your favorite Christmas or holiday cookie recipe- share the recipe or a link to the recipe in the comment section.

Looking for more Christmas cookie ideas? Check out Baking Delight’s 50 Best Cookie Recipes, there are some awesome cookies on that list!

Christmas cookie decorating tips, check out these links for more decorating how to’s:

• Painting Cookies
• Make Your Own Colored Sugar Sprinkles

Enjoy, and let me know how your cookies turn out.

Image via istockphoto.com

Post from: She Knows Parties

I’m in the mood to start some holiday baking, so I was super excited to find this fun sugar cookie recipe from Betty Crocker(tm). For more fun holiday cookies check out 50 Cute and Tasty Christmas Cookie Ideas.

Colorful Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Prep Time: 1 Hr 20 Min
Start to Finish: 1 Hr 20 Min
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
6 pouches (7 oz each) Betty Crocker® cookie icing in desired colors
Betty Crocker® colored sugar or candy sprinkles, if desired
1. In large bowl, beat all ingredients except flour, cookie icing and colored sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in flour until well blended.
2. Shape dough into 3 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour for easier handling.
3. Heat oven to 375°F. On floured surface, roll 1 disk of dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness (keep remaining dough refrigerated). Cut dough with lightly floured 2 1/2-inch round or desired shape cookie cutter. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 1 inch apart. 
4. Bake 6 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Spread cookie icing on cooled cookies. Decorate as desired with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. 
About 6 dozen cookies 
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):  Increase flour to 2 1/4 cups.

These will make really fun cookies for your holiday parties. Get the kids in the kitchen to help, they’ll have a blast helping you decorate.

We have a giveaway coming up in the next couple days Betty Crocker® is giving us cookie icing to give away to a lucky She Knows Parties reader, so stay tuned, or if you haven’t yet, subscribe to our RSS feed.

Image via Betty Crocker® is a registered trademark of General Mills used under license.

Post from: She Knows Parties

The video recommends royal icing:

3 level tablespoons of Meringue Powder

1 lb confectioners’ sugar

5-6 tablespoons of lukewarm water

Mix at low speed for 7-8 minutes for a stiff consistency icing. Add more water slowly until you have a thin consistency icing to use on your cookie painting projects. You can also us corn syrup instead of water to thin your icing. This icing can be stored for up to two weeks.

Painted cookies would make a great party favor, gift, or special treat.

Post from: She Knows Parties