I'll Be Home for Christmas

It's the time of year when our inner Martha Stewart comes out and we go crazy with traditions and baking and homemade everything. Oh, my!
For me, it's connecting my present to my past, creating new memories.
Most of the traditions I grew up with are impossible to replicate because I'm 1300 miles from New York, so I cant take Little Man ice skating at Rockerfeller Center or to the Met. However, I can share the stories with him.
I dont come from a family of bakers (their secret? Slice and bake!) so it wasn't until I was living on my own in my 20's that I taught myself to bake. I learned to make these chocolate bliss cookies that have a hershey kiss in the middle of, as well as the traditional sugar and gingerbread.
My old church made gingerbread houses to sell at the St Nicholas Bazaar, which to me was the unofficially kick off to the holiday season. We might no longer be at at Trinity, but we still make the house. In fact, I am convinced we both knock walls over just to eat the candy.
As time marches on, it's important to make those connections. Little Man is now 9, and growing up way too fast. This may be our last year for Santa, which is a little sad. I want him, when he's a dad himself, to fondly recall his childhood and all the giggles over gumdrops and gingerbread.
And for him to carry it on.

Chocolate bliss
1 c flour
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c baking cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c applesauce or 1 c butter softened
24 unwrapped Hershey kisses

Mix together all ingredients except kisses. Form into a dough, (you may need to add a little more flour) roll into a ball, place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Press a kiss into the center of the ball. Bake 15 minutes at 350. Cool on a cooling rack.