Macaroon Kiss Cookies

INGREDIENTS  

• 2½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 T. plus 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. table salt
• 2/3 cups butter, softened
• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 T. plus 1 t. Vanilla extract
• 1 T. plus 1 t. juice from a fresh orange
• 10 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided in to 6 cup and 4 cup portions
• 1 bag Hershey Kisses (48 pieces)

DIRECTIONS  

1. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, vanilla and orange juice and beat till smooth.
3. In 1 cup increments, mix flour in to the butter mixture. Add the 6 cups flaked coconut and beat to combine.
4. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. While dough is chilling, remove wrappers from the Kisses.
5. Preheat oven to 350ºF. One at a time, scoop dough into 1.5" balls (about the size of a large walnut, roll between your palms, then roll in the bowl of remaining coconut (4 cups).
6. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet, at least an inch apart (cookies will spread slightly). Bake 12-14 minutes, until the cookies puff and are very lightly browned.
7. Remove from oven. Immediately press one Kiss into each cookie. Return pan to oven and bake for an additional minute.
8. Remove pan from oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes. With a thin spatula, gently move cookies on to a rack to finish cooling.

Recipe Author: Rookno17