Saint Nicholas Purse Cookies

I printed this recipe a couple years ago after seeing it shared by Amy Heyd, author of Saints at the Dinner Table.  I just loved the idea, but I never got around to baking them until today.

The cookies turned out darling, not to mention sooooo yummy, and they will make a perfect addition to our St. Nicholas Celebration tomorrow.  I think I might just have to make them again for Christmas!

Saint Nicholas Purse Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup corn starch
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
24 Hershey's Kisses filled with Mint Truffle
¼ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
about 2 teaspoons powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º. In large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar together on low until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix for 1 minute on low speed.

Sift the flour, corn starch, baking soda and salt into the butter mixture. Mix on low speed for about 3 minutes. The mixture will look crumbly at first and then suddenly it will begin to blend together. When the dough forms into a ball it is ready.

Lightly roll about a tablespoon of dough into a ball.  (I used the small scoop from Pampered Chef and was able to make 30 cookies.)  Press a Hershey Kiss into the center of each ball and mold the dough up to shape a cookie that looks like a cinched bag (they settle during baking).

Optional: To further enchance the appearance of a bag, you may want to place mini chocolate chips like a tie around the cinched part of the cookie.

One of my sons walked by at this stage and said "Oh, neat!  Those look like money bags!"  :-)

Adding the mini chocolate chips is so much fun for little helpers! 

Place the dough on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes in a 350º oven until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let sit on pan for one minute before placing on a cookie rack to cool. When cookies are cool, dust with powdered sugar.

This recipe is easily doubled, as there are plenty of Hershey kisses in a package.

Wishing you and your families a very blessed
 Feast of St. Nicholas!