Nutty Chocolate Stars

These oatmeal cookies take the classic peanut blossom move (a chocolate kiss pressed into a warm cookie center) and apply it to a brown-sugar oatmeal-cookie base rolled in finely chopped nuts. The chocolate star or Hershey’s kiss melts slightly into the cookie’s hot top, and as it cools it sets into a glossy chocolate dome surrounded by the toasted nut crust.

Roll the dough balls in finely chopped nuts before baking. The nuts adhere to the moist dough and toast on the cookie surface during baking, adding crunch and a roasted flavor that plain oatmeal cookies lack.

Press the chocolate immediately when the cookies come out of the oven. Cookies start setting fast at room temp; press too late and the cookies are too firm to accept the candy without cracking. Press too soon and the chocolate slides off into the cookie’s molten center.

Cool 2 minutes on the sheet before transferring. The chocolate needs that brief rest to start firming up; move them too early and the candies slide off and smear.

These hold for a week in an airtight tin and ship well, which makes them a great holiday-mailing or care-package cookie. The chocolate stays glossy and the nuts stay crunchy.

Pro Tips

• Toast the chopped nuts before rolling. Eight minutes at 350°F (175°C) doubles their flavor and crunch. Cool fully before rolling balls in them.
• Use chocolate stars for the holidays (Hershey’s makes them seasonally) or kisses year-round. Both work.
• Let chocolate kisses come to room temperature before pressing. Cold-from-the-bag candies don’t melt-and-set as cleanly.
• Old-fashioned oats give better texture than quick oats; quick oats disappear into the dough while old-fashioned stay distinct.

Variations

• Use pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts instead of generic mixed nuts.
• Press a chocolate-covered cherry or a peanut butter cup into the center for a different inclusion.
• Substitute peanut butter chips for plain chocolate for a peanut-butter-blossom-style cookie.