Christmas day is in 26 days and that means the Cake Duchess kitchen is busy! There is chocolate every where! Recipes are strewn across my counter. We do make an exorbitant amount of cakes here…but we also LOVE cookies.
Hershey’s Kiss Cookies is one of the cookies I look forward to making every Christmas. I make it the way you probably make it: peanut butter cookie and a sweet kiss on top.
This year I decided we need a little more chocolate. And some nicely chopped and toasted hazelnuts. Funny how the cookie tastes like Nutella, but there is not a drop of Nutella in it! I had to stay away from Nutella for at least a week;)
These cookies will be a new Christmas tradition with our family. I had so much fun making each cookie with my kids. Their favorite part was rolling the cookie into the toasted (and cooled) hazelnuts. Eating the leftover Kisses while the cookies were in the oven were the 2nd best part!
Now let’s move on to the GIVEAWAY! Since it is holiday time, my dear and talented friend Shulie and I have decided to do a double giveaway! Yes, a double giveaway of the fabulous new book, Big Night In, from the amazing Domenica Marchetti. You can read all about Domenica here. This book is gorgeous! It is full of classic Italian recipes and fabulous desserts. If you love Italian food, you will love this book!
My sweet readers, that means that you not only have a chance of winning the book over here, you also have a chance of winning on Shulie’s blog. Double the giveaway fun!!
Shulie and I both did a recipe with Domenica’s Pasta Frolla recipe. I chose to change it a bit by adding some cocoa and making these delectable cookies. Take a peak at Shulie’s site to see Domenica’s Lemon Crostata recipe.
Domenica Marchetti, a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, is a cookbook author with a national reputation is a lovely lady with many accolades under her belt. This Italian treasure of a book will be a fixture in your kitchen. Domenica also has two books coming out in 2011, The Glorious Pasta of Italy (Chronicle) in the spring, and a book on rustic Italian cooking (Williams-Sonoma) in the fall. Big Night In was named one of the 25 best cookbooks of the year by the editors of Food and Wine. Domenica is a contributor to many magazines and newspapers including the Washington Post Food Section. You can find her full bio here .
*Book cover photo compliments of Chronicle Books and Domenica Marchetti
BONUS ENTRIES: Each entry comment counts as a SEPARATE entry in the giveaway! To enter giveaways:
1. Please follow on twitter @domenicacooks
2. Please follow @cakeduchess on twitter
3. Another way to win: Tweet the following: YOU should enter the GIVEAWAY to WIN Big Night In by @domenicacooks from @cakeduchess. Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/24z7sl3
4. If you Facebook, LIKE Cake Duchess’ here on Facebook.
5. Leave a comment on this post! You are encouraged to share a comment about Domenica’s Big Night In or any other thoughts.
6. If you RT or post on your Facebook page this giveaway post link, you get an additional entry. Please drop me an additional comment on this post saying that you did so.
7. Become a “follower” of Cake Duchess’ blog.
8. Sign up for our RSS Feed/Email Subscription
9. Drawing will be done randomly from all comments recorded by Sunday, December 5 by midnight and lucky winner-will announced on Monday, December 6.
10. Shipping only in the US. I apologize to my international friends.
11. Don’t forget to go to Shulie’s site and enter the giveaway there!
That’s EIGHT chances to win! Do the math: the more entries you make, the better your chances are to WIN! Again, you MUST leave a separate comment for each entry to count : )
Let’s get on to my FABULOUS Holiday cookie recipe!!
The cookie dough recipe is Domenica’s pasta frolla dough recipe with some slight adjustments.
Chocolate Hazelnut Kiss Cookie
yield: approximately 40 cookies (depending on how close to 1-inch round you make the cookie balls. Don’t worry, you can eat the extra Kisses while the cookies are baking;)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
1 cup butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted (approximately-I had some leftover)
40 Hershey’s Kisses
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare your cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse briefly to combine the ingredients. Distribute the butter around the bowl and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg yolks and process until the dough just begins to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it together. Knead it briefly until the dough is smooth and shiny. Shape the dough into approximately 40 (1-inch)balls. Indent your thumb to faltten a little the middle of each ball and work around the edges of the cookie to smooth out the shape. There will be cracks in the cookie. Roll the sides of the balls into the hazelnuts. Press down gently and try to gather as many hazelnuts as you can without changing the shape of the cookie.
Bake the cookies a batch at a time for about 8 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven and add a Hershey’s kiss to each cookie. Press the Hershey’s Kiss down gently, and be careful not to burn yourself. Add the tray back to the oven and bake for about another minute. Depending on your oven-mine took about 10 minutes total to bake.
If you do not want to make the dough in a food processor, you can let the butter soften and you can mix the batter with a hand mixer. Email me if you need help with those directions.
If you would like to see Domenica’s pasta frolla recipe, you can find it here on Shulie’s site.
Bake with your little ones. If you don’t have little ones, bake with your neighbor’s kids! My little guy loved to roll out his own cookies! 
Bake with your little ones. If you don’t have little ones, bake with your neighbor’s kids! My little guy loved to roll out his own cookies!
He was ready to add Kisses even when it wasn’t time to add them!!
He was ready to add Kisses even when it wasn’t time to add them!!
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Cake Duchess is where you can follow the baking adventures of me! Hi! I'm Lora, a mom of two cuties in South Florida. I got into all this baking mess because of them. 
{ 114 comments… read them below or add one }
Domenica e Favolosa!
Of course I’m following on Twitter! @bellalimento
I like Cake Duchess on Facebook!
I follow Domenica on Twitter too! @bellalimento
More kisses on foreheads and in tummies than on cookies? These look adorable.
Very nice twist on the classic!
I love the kiss cookies! And nice work on the additions, you definitely made a vast improvement:)
What a gorgeous looking book! These cookies look beyond fabulous. Love anything that tastes like Nutella, whether there’s actually any Nutella in it or not!
I follow both of u on Twitter.
and I just tweeted about the giveaway.
I want these cookies now:)
nearly fell off my chair Lora – I WANT THIS BOOK!!! you know i’m in love with all things Italy (including you!) and the movie ‘Big Night’ is one of my favorite movies ever!! PICK ME, PICK ME!!!
This looks great a great Book, just RT’d you! Those cookies!! Oh my.
Of course not entering a comment for a chance to win, just to show support and say LOVED working with you, you HOT momma!! Mwah!! Shulie
yes on foodbuzz twitter and google… these look fantastic! love the hazelnuts and chocolate combo terrific shots too!
i tweeted – WOO!
I already follow you on Twitter. Off to follow you on Facebook! What a great giveaway. Oh, and the cookies look pretty great as well.
I love these cookies. What a great variation on the old peanut blossoms!
I follow, I love, I tweet, and I WANT THESE COOKIES (and the book, of course)
Lora, thank you so much for featuring my book! I love your twist on the pasta frolla and can’t wait to make it. Baci!
I’m now following both of you on Twitter
AND I just retweeted & now love you on FB. The book looks amazing and those cookies are MY FAVORITE COOKIES EVER! (Pardon the shouting. Chocolate excites me.
)
Oh yeah – I follow your blog now too. Sick of me yet?! Mwahaha…
following you on twitter and facebook!
of course i follow YOU!!!
AND i’m now following @domenicacooks!
Yes, I follow you on Twitter.
@cspod
I tweeted the giveaway: http://twitter.com/cspod/statuses/9779198319136768
I stalk, er, like you on FB.
I love Italian food, and so does my mom. This cookbook looks wonderful!
::sigh:: you need to stop posting such tempting things. My will power is waning! I made your nutella crostata and had to give it away after a couple of slivers. It was either give it away or tape it to my thighs, which is where it wind up!
I posted your giveaway on my FB page. Thanks for hosting the giveaway.
Now I follow @domenicacooks yay!
I already follow you
two yays!
And I already like you on facebook! three yays!
And I tweeted about the giveaway! four yays!
I’m already following Cake Duckess on twitter! Five yays
ok, did you get how much I would love this book?!
Oh btw, I’m not a fan of chocolate but if these cookies taste like nutella I will have to make them
Love,love,love the addition of hazelnuts!
Mmm, I love the idea of chocolate pasta frolla! You should try this with Brach’s chocolate stars instead of kisses, they are shorter and softer. I think they make for just slightly better kiss cookies!
These look awesome! I’m pretty much in love with Nutella…and these cookies!
looks amazing! i am now following your blog!
Also, I know you are super busy with baking galore, but we are doing a holiday blogging event and would love if you could join! let me know if you are interested… i did a post with more details on Monday.
I have NO clue how I did not come across your blog before!! I LOVE Shulie and still
But ‘m glad now I do and following you from now on!
Now I want to actually do a “Big Night In”! Using the recipes from this beautiful cookbook!
It’s great to find you! Thank you for the giveaway.
I’m following @domenicacooks!
And now I’m following @Cakedutchess
I “Like” Cake Dutchess on Facebook.
Mmmmm those cookies look incredible Lora! I’m going to make them but substitute the hazelnuts for another nut because I don’t think I could not make them! Your photos are gorgeous too.
Another gorgeous dessert!!! So pretty! And I love your little guy’s hands in the photos
I’m definitely a fan of Cake Duchess!!
Just subscribed!
The cookies look so good! I love kiss cookies and look forward to them this time of year as well. I would love to win that cookbook and whip up some table worthy recipes. Maybe it will help bring back the comforts of being around my mother’s table growing up. She made some of the best Italian fare and I surely miss it!
I also linked your post on my Facebook page! Hopefully my foodie friends and family will help generate more traffic to your blog!
I also subscribed to your email feeds! Looking forward to the inbox being filled with deliciousness!
I am already a FOLLOWER! Such a food stalker I can be! Haha!
These hazelnut kiss cookies look amazing!!! I follow domenicacooks on Twitter!
Following you on GFC!
Following you on GFC!
(sorry if this is a double post; Firefox is disagreeing with me this morning!)
Following @cakeduchess on Twitter as @one_of_three
Following @domenicacooks on Twitter as @one_of_three
P.S. Your blog makes me want to lick my computer screen
Finally, I tweeted about this: http://twitter.com/one_of_three/status/9752256614240257
Oh honey, I follow you everywhere! But now I can’t decide whether I want a handful or two of these cookies (I LOVE Hershey’s kisses and bring home a suitcase of them every time I visit the US) or the Lemon Crostata. Can I have both? Great book and great recipes you too have made!
Love these cookies! What a great holiday tradition
I would totally love to have a chance at winning that cookbook!
And of course I follow you!
I follow @cakeduchess on twitter
tweeted!
These cookies look FAB! I can’t wait to make them.
I subscribe to RSS
Your cookies look amazing and I love Italian recipes so I hope to win the book. I’m also going to tweet about this giveaway!
love the cookies & the book!!! I’m already following Domenicacooks!
I am sure there are many wonderful recipes in this cookbook! It would be great to win.
I follow on Twitter.
I like you on Facebook.
I now follow Domineca Cooks on Twitter.
Chocolate and nutella is so heavenly! And the cookies are so pretty!
I am following Domineca on twitter!
I follow you on Twitter!
I tweeted!
I liked you on Facebook!
I follow you through Google Friends!
those cookies look amazing, big fans of kisses cookies over here, well, big fan of everything chocolate hehe
These cookies look sooo yummy! I love that Nutella kind of flavor, so these sound perfect!
These mexican hats cookies looks superb! YUMM!
Hiya, I’m not here for the book as I live outside the US, but I just wanted to thank you so much for your kind thoughts on my blog. Congrats also for making Top 9, we are both in it on the same day, how cool’s that?!
These choc hazelnut kiss cookies look so superb, I can eat them all season long!
Yuuummmm… these cookies not only look so perfectly beautiful but they look really yummy!! Like I said on Twitter, you’re really becoming quite a pro baker
I unusually make the peanut butter Hershey Kiss cookies ,but I’ll have to try these. My kids used to help make me make these, too. They’re adults now.
My kids would LOVE these…saving!
Following both by twitter!
…and tweeted about it!
That recipe sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to see the rest of the recipes in the book!
Now following GFC.
How do I subscribe by email?
I entered at Shulie’s site.
I adore Hershey Kiss Cookies too, and I’m just smitten by your sophisticated version of one of my favorite classic cookie recipes. Lovely! I follow you on twitter, and I follow you on google, and I’m so very happy that I do! You are wonderful…and this is a great giveaway too! Thank you for sharing. I hope you have a great day!
Congrats on making the Top 9!!! Love the picture of them, and they sound fantastic:)
Take Care,
Terra
http://www.cafeterrablog.com
I love those cookies, the kids must have such fun helping you
Wonderful to start those types of traditions. 
Very nice giveaway…I will stop by to visit your friend too
I am glad I follow you on twitter
Love all the inspiration!
I now like on facebook
Beautiful cookies & a great giveaway too! My kids would also love to help baking these
follow you on twitter
cher_theblondeprincess@hotmail.com
Those are some swell cookies and a great giveaway…do throw my name in the hat please! Happy Holidays!
I can see how this cookie can quickly become a chocolate treat favourite ;o)
Thanks for sharing such a tasty and amusing cookie.
Although, it hasn’t been long…I did start following you on my blog’s side roll.
Good luck to everyone,
Claudia
Drooling over these Nutella-ish delights! I follow on fb and the blog, and have reposted this giveaway.
Love the cookbook, it looks beautiful. Thnx for sharing
I am following you on google
These look AMAZING and I happen to have a bag of hazelnuts to use up! PERFECT.
I am following CD on Twitter
I’m also following DC on Twitter.
I liked CD on Facebook…
I retweeted the giveaway!
And lastly, I became a follower of your blog.
Thanks so much for the giveaway, and I’ll be making these cookies soon. YUM!
Those look gorgeous!! Love the little helper
I’m just chiming in to say that the cookies look wonderful and your little helpers’ hands even more so! I love seeing children cook.
Those cookies look delicious! I love the combo of hazelnut and chocolate. Thanks for doing this giveaway!