Cookie Week: Macaroon Kisses

It only seems appropriate today to honor and share Amanda's Macaroon Kiss Cookies from the Exchange.   In order to understand why I chose Amanda as my honored Cookie Queen for the day, I must share our little sob story with you.  We live in a two family house, or duplex as they are called in other part of the country, and Amanda lives next door.  Today New England is getting hit with a doozy of a Noreaster, we have at least 16 inches of snow now and they say we should get up to 20 inches before it is over.  My husband had his appendix out last week so he can't shovel and Amanda's husband is stuck in California so that leaves Amanda and me to handle all the shoveling, oh and the 5 kids we have between the two of us.  Ugh.  Actually it has not been too bad yet.  So far this morning we got a good start to the shoveling and my husband has been able to keep the kids happy, well mine anyway.  I have been sharing our little sob story with everyone in the neighborhood hoping to find a nice fellow with a plow that might have mercy on us.  Here is my offer to the plow drivers of Woburn - a big heaping plate of fresh cookies and cash if you come plow even just the end of our driveway.  Please!  Ok, self pity over.  Going to finish this post them go shovel some more, back to the cookies.

Amanda made these special macaroons with Hersey's Kisses on top for the Cookie Exchange.  Brilliant!  I love a good macaroon.  My experience with home made macaroons all look like this cookie as opposed to those fancy colorful ones you see on all the blogs these days.  I feel like I should try making some fancy ones as it is all the rage on the blog sites, but I am quite content with the classic mom-made macaroon like this. Amanda's cookies were a hit and I am so glad she joined our little cookie party.  Now I am off to beat on her door with a snow shovel so she can help me dig.  Happy Snow Day!

Macaroon Kiss Cookie


Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 teaspoons orange juice
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups Sweetened Coconut Flakes, divided
• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates

 Directions:

1. Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add egg yolk, almond extract and orange juice; beat well. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in 3 cups coconut.

2. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in remaining 2 cups coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; immediately press chocolate on top of each cookie. Cool 1 minute; carefully remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.