1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet

• Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Line Baking Sheet: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This will prevent the cookies from sticking and make cleanup a breeze.

2. Cream Together Wet Ingredients: The Foundation of Flavor

• Combine Butter and Sugars: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
• Cream: Using an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer), cream the butter and sugars together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Proper creaming incorporates air into the mixture, resulting in a more tender cookie.
• Add Vanilla, Egg Yolk, and Food Coloring: Add the vanilla extract, egg yolk, and red food coloring gel to the creamed butter and sugar mixture.
  • Tip: Start with 1/4 teaspoon of food coloring gel and add more if needed to achieve your desired shade of red.
• Mix Well: Beat on low speed until everything is well combined and the color is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

3. Combine Dry Ingredients: Ensuring Even Distribution

• Whisk Together: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
  • Why Whisk: Whisking helps to aerate the dry ingredients and ensures that the baking powder and salt are evenly distributed, which is crucial for proper leavening and flavor.

4. Gradually Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients: Bringing the Dough Together

• Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
  • Tip: Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in a tougher cookie.

5. Shape and Bake the Cookies: Creating the Blossoms

• Roll into Balls: Roll the cookie dough into 18 সমান-sized balls (about 1 inch in diameter). A small cookie scoop can help with this.
• Coat in Sugar: Pour the red sanding sugar into a shallow dish. Roll each dough ball in the sanding sugar until it’s completely coated.
• Place on Baking Sheet: Place the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie to allow for spreading.
• Bake: Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

6. Add the Hershey’s Kisses: The Finishing Touch

• Remove from Oven: After 10 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven.
• Press in Kisses: Immediately press an unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie, pressing down gently. The heat from the cookies will slightly melt the bottom of the kiss, helping it adhere.

7. Cool and Enjoy: Patience Rewarded

• Cool on Baking Sheet: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This allows the cookies to set and prevents them from breaking.
• Cool Completely: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the wire rack. The Hershey’s Kisses will firm up as they cool.