Chocolate Kisses (Baci di Cioccolato)
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Adorable bite-sized chocolate cookies sandwiched with a dollop of chocolate ganache.
These adorably sophisticated cookies are adapted from Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen, an Italian dessert cookbook by the late pastry chef Gina DePalma. The cookies are a variation of Italy’s famous baci di dama (lady’s kisses), which consist of two bite-size hazelnut cookies surrounding a rich chocolate filling. In DePalma’s words, “Baci means ‘kisses’ in Italian, and here two chocolate cookies are sandwiched with a kiss of chocolate ganache. It is highly likely that the lucky people who devour them will kiss you for making them.” Having made these intensely-chocolate cookies for the chocoholics in my family, I can confirm this is true. If you’ve got some insatiable chocoholics in your house, this collection of chocolate desserts will satisfy every chocolate craving.
Table of Contents
“Made these yesterday for a Birthday/Valentine’s Day dinner. Loved that they are bite-sized. They were delicious! I will definitely make them again.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Kisses
- Slivered Almonds: Adds a nutty flavor and texture to the cookies.
- Granulated Sugar: A portion of the sugar sweetens the dough and the remainder creates a sweet, crunchy exterior to the cookies.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the base for the cookies. To ensure you’re using the correct amount of flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off.
- Unsweetened Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: Gives the cookies a rich chocolate flavor. Note that Dutch-processed cocoa powder is different than natural cocoa powder.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise and puff slightly during baking.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the dough and enhances the texture and mouthfeel of the ganache.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens the dough and contributes to a delicate crumb.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the cookies with its aromatic richness.
- Dark Rum: Adds depth of flavor and subtle warmth to both the cookies and the chocolate filling.
- Heavy Cream: Provides a smooth, creamy base for the ganache.
- Semisweet Chocolate: Gives the ganache a rich, chocolaty flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
For the Cookies:
Place the almonds and 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the almonds are finely ground and powdery.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the butter and confectioners’ sugar.
Beat on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 minutes. Then add the vanilla and rum (if using), scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients.
Beat on low speed until combined.
Add the ground almond mixture and mix to combine.
Scrape the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, wrap it, and flatten it into a disc. Chill for about 1 hour, or until it is firm enough to handle.
On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough into 3 pieces.
Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others wrapped and refrigerated. Roll the first portion of the dough into a log about 3/4 inch in diameter.
Cut each log into 1/2-inch pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball, then roll the balls in granulated sugar to coat them completely. Place the balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1-1/2 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.
Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back midway through, until they are puffed and cracking slightly on top, 12 to 14 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
For the Ganache Filling:
While the cookies are baking, make the ganache filling. Pour the cream into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until boiling, about 1 minute. Add the chocolate and butter; let sit for 1 minute.
Whisk until smooth and glossy. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl, bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan, and then pour the cream over the chocolate and butter.) Whisk in the rum, if using.
Allow the ganache to cool, whisking it occasionally, until it is thickened enough to spread with a knife, about 45 minutes.
To Assemble the Cookies:
Pair up the cookies according to size. Turn one cookie upside down and, using a butter knife, spread a heaping teaspoon of the ganache onto the flat side, then place the bottom of the second cookie on the ganache to form a sandwich; the two round tops of the cookies should be facing outward. Repeat until all the cookies have been used.
Allow the ganache to firm up at room temperature for about an hour, then transfer the cookies to a serving plate. The cookies can be stored, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Chocolate Kisses (Baci di Cioccolato)
Adorable bite-sized chocolate cookies sandwiched with a dollop of chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ⅓ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Scant ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)
For the Ganache Filling
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons dark rum (optional)
Instructions
- Place the almonds and 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the almonds are finely ground and powdery.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and rum (if using), scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined, then beat in the ground almond mixture. Scrape the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, wrap it, and flatten it into a disc. Chill for about 1 hour, or until it is firm enough to handle.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough into 3 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others wrapped and refrigerated. Roll the first portion of the dough into a log about ¾ inch in diameter. Cut each log into ½-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then roll the balls in granulated sugar to coat them completely. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1½ inches apart. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.
- Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back midway through, until they are puffed and cracking slightly on top, 12 to 14 minutes.
- While the cookies are baking, make the ganache filling. Pour the cream into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until boiling, about 1 minute. Add the chocolate and butter; let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth and glossy. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl, bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan, and then pour the cream over the chocolate and butter.) Whisk in the rum, if using. Allow the ganache to cool, whisking it occasionally, until it is thickened enough to spread with a knife, about 45 minutes. (Don't let it cool for too long, or it will be too firm to spread.)
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
- To assemble the kisses: Pair up the cookies according to size. Turn one cookie upside down and, using a butter knife, spread a heaping teaspoon of the ganache onto the flat side, then place the bottom of the second cookie on the ganache to form a sandwich; the two round tops of the cookies should be facing outward. (Alternatively, use a pastry bag fitted with a plain or star tip to pipe the ganache onto the cookies.) Repeat until all the cookies have been used. Allow the ganache to firm up at room temperature for about an hour, then transfer the cookies to a serving plate.
- The cookies can be stored, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Note: If you have any leftover chocolate ganache, let it firm up and roll it into balls. Then roll the balls in cocoa powder or confectioners' sugar to make truffles.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 114
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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These look delicious! Any experience subbing regular flour for brown rice flour? I want to bring them for a Christmas party and there are a few gluten-free people in attendance. Thanks!
Hi Liz, I don’t have any experience at all with brown rice flour so unfortunately, I can’t weigh in. Although I’ve never made these with an all-purpose gluten-free flour, I suspect that would work here. Please LMK how the cookies turn out if you try it!
Hey Jenn! I loved the end result of the cookies! My family loved them as well and they were gone quickly. One question though, when I was shaping the cookies I tried to roll them into a rope like you said to do but it was to dry and stiff to do that. Any suggestions?
Hi Meghan, You may just need to knead the dough with your hands for a bit to soften it up.
Made these yesterday for a Birthday/Valentine’s Day dinner. Loved that they are bite sized. They were delicious! I will definitely make them again.
These were perfect for
Gal-entine’s Day. Perfect size bite and perfect flavor. Loved these. They freeze well too! Thank you for another wonderful treat.
The flavor and texture of these cookies is delicious! Mine did not dome up as much as the picture shows though so they weren’t as cute:-( Any idea why they might have flattened out?
Glad you enjoyed, Shelley! What brand of flour do you use?
I’m not sure what brand it was, I don’t have one that I stick to. Is there a brand you recommend?
Hi Shelley, I use King Arthur flour for all of my baking. It actually makes a big difference, especially with cookies.
Hello Jenn. Are these cookies crunchy or soft? I’d love to give them a try!
Hi Hannah, I would describe these as more crisp than soft. Hope you enjoy if you make them!
Made these this evening and my husband has already eaten four of them. Absolutely delicious. EVERY SINGLE recipe of yours is yummy and easy to follow. I have both of your books and they do not disappoint. Thank you.
Hello! Looking forward to trying this with hazelnuts. How far ahead could I make the dough and keep in the fridge, or freeze the unbaked dough?
Hi Melinda, You can refrigerate the dough for about 3 days and, yes, you can freeze the dough for longer storage. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for your reply! I baked a couple of testers and like Tracey back in December mine spread instead of puffing up. I used generic flour, though I’m not sure how much difference that makes. Could the baking powder have gone flat if I refrigerated the dough overnight instead of baking right away? Or, would it help if I refrigerate or freeze the marbles and bake straight from fridge or frozen?
thanks for the recipe! The ones I made are to give away so I still don’t know what the cookie itself tastes like but the raw dough was delicious!
I don’t think refrigerating the dough would be an issues. I would switch to King Arthur flour; I find that the brand of flour makes a huge difference, especially with cookies. You could also refrigerate the dough balls — it will help — but you shouldn’t need to.
These look great but may I ask- what is the texture of the baked cookie? The finished product looks dense and chewy- is that right or is that my wishful thinking? Thank you for all the great recipes!
Hi Emily, I would describe the cookie as more crisp than dense and chewy — sorry!
Thank you so much- I’m still going to try them. They look too good not to try!
My kids and I made these together over Christmas break, and the results were fantastic! It wasn’t nearly as much work as I had feared, and once you get into the groove it goes quickly. Each cookie is the perfect combination of rich chocolate, just enough sweetness, and a hint of salt that makes for a deliciously balanced bite. I think I’ve found our family’s new Christmas cookie tradition!
Can this recipe be cut in half? It’s just too risky having 46 cookies around the house!
LOL – sure!
These cookies are totally worth all the time and effort. They’re not super sweet and the combination of the cookie and ganache is heavenly. I was planning on giving some to friends because I thought we had “too many” but my husband proved me wrong. If you have the flexibility throughout the day, I recommend making the dough in the morning and finishing the cookies/ganache later in the afternoon or spacing it out over two days. There’s a lot of steps and having a little separation makes the process feel less daunting. These aren’t “simple” by any means, but they are delicious and will impress anyone you share them with.