Pumpkin Spice Cookie Cups

Pumpkin Spice Cookie Cups

As far as seasons go, fall just might be the most delicious. I insisted that summer was my favorite season for the first 21 or so years of my life. However, as I approach old age, my July birthday becomes less of a reason for excitement and I am growing less tolerant of (read: highly annoyed by) the intense summer heat. I suspect that summer will continue to lose points in my book now that I have joined the dreaded “real world” and have likely seen the last of my summer breaks. Alas, fall wins over my foodie heart and gets extra points for college football and the option to press the “Off” button on the fan I’ve camped out beside all summer.

When I went to Target today, I was embarrassingly excited to see one of my favorite fall items, Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. I immediately picked up a bag and spent the next few hours daydreaming about what I could bake with them. Folks, this is when you know you have a problem. Hi, my name is Dena and I’m addicted to baking. Sorry I’m not sorry.

Anyways, I decided to make one of my favorite recipes, Butterscotch Chai Cookies, and add my beloved Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. Read on to see how I made these delicious treats that are also super cute…or as I prefer to say “totes presh.”

Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup Crisco Butter flavor shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar 
1/3 cup butterscotch chips, melted
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp powder chai concentrate (I used Pacific Chai’s Spice Chai Latte)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cornstarch
36 Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses (1 bag is more than enough)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix butter and shortening with the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. (preferably do not use an electric mixer, mix with a spoon) 3. Add in melted butterscotch chips
4. Gradually add in flour, adding no more than ½ a cup at a time.
5. Mix in chai concentrate, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch.
6. Drop 1 tablespoon of dough into greased or lined mini muffin tins. (I recommend using cupcake liners because mini muffin tins are THE most annoying things to clean ever.)
7. Bake for about 13 minutes.
8. Unwrap the Hershey Kisses while the cookie cups are in the oven.
9. Immediately after removing the cookie cups from the oven, press one Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kiss into each.
10. Let them cool as long as you can stand it.
11. The obligatory last step: enjoy!

Get creative with your favorite fall foods, and when in doubt, bake!

<3 Dena