I know this sounds silly but one thing I have always wanted to do is participate in a cookie exchange. Not that I need the extra holiday calories :-). It’s just that it seems like it would be a lot of fun, plus a great way to explore different cookie recipes. There are only so many Gingerbread and chocolate chip cookies you can eat. I would love to explore other cookie options.
This holiday season Hershey’s has launched a new website which will be a one-stop online resource to help people with all their baking needs. The website is www.HersheysKitchens.com. There you can connect with other bakers and share recipes. Be forewarned that there are plenty of “drool-worthy” photos on the site too!
Whether you are a novice like me or an award winning baker, you can get expert baking advice and have your questions answered by both Hershey’s and Betty Crocker.
“When it comes to baking, timing is everything,” said Hershey’s Kitchens baking expert Linda Stahl. “For the first time ever, Hershey’s is inviting consumers to connect and get customized tips and advice – directly from the experts and each other – to help bakers in the kitchen this holiday season.”
A team of experts will be on-hand on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST and weekends from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EST to help consumers with all of their baking needs. Consumers are encouraged to visit the site often to submit questions, share comments and join in on the latest baking conversations with fellow baking enthusiasts.
Additionally consumers can join in on the conversation via Twitter. Simply follow @HersheysKisses (www.Twitter.com/HersheysKisses) and check out their Twitter feed.
Hershey’s and Betty Crocker want to help consumers plan the perfect party this holiday season so Stahl is teaming up with Kristen Olson, a baking expert from Betty Crocker Kitchens to share their advice in a blog inspired by their more than 40 years of collective baking and hosting experience. In addition to the weekly blog posts, recipes and cookie exchange tips, FavoriteCookies.com provides holiday hosts the opportunity to share their own favorite recipes and photos with each other. The powerful combination of Hershey’s and Betty Crocker’s plethora of baking knowledge and the extensive consumer experience available makes the site the ultimate destination for cookie exchange enthusiasts nationwide.
In preparation for a cookie exchange, bakers can turn to FavoriteCookies.com to find favorite holiday cookie classics like Peanut Butter Blossoms which is a rich peanut butter cookie topped with a single Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolate and made with Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix. The site features must-make seasonal cookie recipes featuring essential holiday baking ingredients including: Betty Crocker cookie mixes, Gold Medal all-purpose flour, Hershey’s Kisses Brand Chocolates, Hershey’s Cocoa, and Hershey’s Baking Chips.
I was fortunate enough to ask Linda Stahl and Kristen Olson some questions about baking cookies. They were kind enough to make this video especially for me and my readers. Thank you ladies!
The video doesn’t appear to be working but if you put your cursor in the lower left corner of the video and click it should start for you. I played around with it a few times thinking it wasn’t working but I finally got it t work that way.
The video talks about the Peanut Butter Blossom cookies, which were also mentioned above. I am a novice baker and I was actually able to make these cookies and they came out PERFECT. They were so easy to make too.
Because these are super duper easy I am going to make these all season long. Or rather all year round! The ingredients are so easy to find (Peanut Butter Cookie Mix and Hershey’s Kisses). They tasted so good too! I thought rolling them in sugar would make them too sweet but it didn’t.
I did try another cookie recipe that I goofed up on (therefore no pictures – sorry). It was for Chocolate Snowballs. They had Hershey’s Kisses inside. For some reason the chocolate kiss on several of them oozed out and it got messy, especially when I rolled them in powdered sugar.
Some of them turned out OK. So I think it was just a minor glitch. I plan on trying them again. They were delicious regardless of their messy appearance.
I am also going to try and see if I can set up a cookie exchange. I know it might be late in the season but maybe I have a chance. It sounds like so much fun and it’s been something I’ve wanted to do for many years.
With the help of places like www.HersheysKitchens.com and www.FavoriteCookies.com I know I can find all the help I need to host the perfect holiday cookie exchange. Cookie exchanges shouldn’t be ONLY for the holiday season. I think they would be fun to do year round. Maybe once each season or around some of the holidays like Valentines and Easter.
Kimberly
*I received free sample products in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.