Ube Cookies with Hershey Kisses

You Will Love This

• No fancy equipment is needed.
• It is made with real ube halaya flavors. The vibrant purple hue of ube halaya and ube extract adds a visual feast to any dessert table. The striking color not only makes them aesthetically pleasing but also sparks curiosity and excitement among those who encounter these delightful treats.
• Perfect sweetness, moist, and chewy cookies that will satisfy your sweet tooth.
• Whether it's baked or raw, these cookies can last a long time in the freezer.
• If you love more ube recipes, check my:
  • Ube Crinkles
  • Ube Cheese Pandesal
  • Ube Puto
  • Ube Maja Blanca
  • Ube Brownies

Ingredients

• Ube halaya - These are available in your favorite Asian or Filipino Stores abroad or online retailers. You can find them in a jar. Otherwise it is best to make your homemade ube halaya jam.
• Ube extract - This ube extract gives you more ube flavor and a vibrant purple color. You can find this in Asian Stores or online retailers.
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda and salt - Leaveners are needed to help the cookies rise.
• Melted butter - Every cookie tastes better with butter. It provides flavor and structure. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the ¼ teaspoon of salt. Melt them in your stovetop or microwave.
• Granulated sugar and brown sugar - Sweetens and softens cookies.
• Egg - Eggs are helpful in binding the ingredients together.
• Hershey kisses milk chocolate - For toppings. It is the star of these cookies! I used the holiday milk chocolate kisses during the Holidays but you can use whichever flavor kisses you like best!

Instructions

Combine the dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine and sift the flour, baking soda, salt, granulated, and brown sugar together. Sifting your dry ingredients will help to avoid big lumps.

Combine the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, melt the butter in your microwave. Add in the eggs, ube halaya, and ube extract. Stir until well blended.

Combine the wet and the dry ingredients: Gradually combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Avoid over-mixing the cookie dough.

Pro Tip: Only mix until the dry ingredients are combined. Over mixing = more gluten development which means tough cookies. We don’t want any tough cookies here!

Preheat the oven to 350°F-175°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or with a silicone mat. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to scoop about two tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. This batch can make about 12-15 medium size cookies. Make sure there are 2 inches of space between each cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set. They should remain soft but don't be tempted to bake them for too long. Super easy right?

Pro tip: Do not bake your cookies for too long! Otherwise, they will become dry and tough. They will continue to bake while still hot. Take it out of the oven.

Allow the ube cookies to rest for a few minutes, and transfer them to a cooling wire rack. Top them with milk chocolate and allow them to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!

Helpful Tips

• Allowing the cookie dough to chill in the refrigerator or freezer will help to keep it from being too sticky while forming into cookie balls. The dough is easier to manage when they are chilled and firm from the refrigerator.
• Spread some oil in your hands while rolling and shaping the dough. Or you can simply use an ice cream scoop to avoid sticky hands.
• Bake one tray at a time on the middle oven rack. This ensures that there is even heat circulation.
• Let them cool for a few minutes before topping them with Hershey kisses on top, if you add the kisses chocolate while the cookies are still hot, they will melt.
• To keep them fresh and soft, do not refrigerate baked cookies. Simply transfer them to a container and store them on the countertop for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 3 months. They are so good!

Make-ahead and Storage

• Make-ahead: You can simply make the cookie dough ahead of time by following the instructions on how to make the dough. You can store them in the refrigerator for a week or freezer for up to 3 months. Roll them flat and wrap them in plastic to save space in the freezer. Take them out and continue with the baking process when ready to consume.
• Storage:
  • Countertop - Once it is cold, transfer them to a container with a tight lid and leave them on the countertop to store for up to 5 days.
  • Freezer - You can freeze baked ube cookies or raw cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months. If baked, thaw them on the countertop until they reach room temperature, then they are ready to eat. If it is raw dough, you may need to defrost it in the refrigerator the night before then you are ready to bake the next morning.