When I make Christmas cookies I try to get a good mix of flavors in the mix. The reason I make so many cookies is to give them out as gifts, so I like to have the multiple flavors to make sure I have something everyone likes. Peppermint is one of the classic holidays flavors so I always need to have that covered. Last year I made the salted peppermint bark and the candy cane kiss cookies for the peppermint flavor. I really love peppermint bark so when I found this recipe for peppermint bark cookies I knew I had to try them. This cookie is the cross between the Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie and peppermint bark. I made them with a small 1 1/2 fluted circle cutter because I like to have smaller cookies. You can make them in any size that you want or whatever you have a cookie cutter for. It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas!
- 1½ cup AP flour
- ⅔ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- ¾ cup of unsalted butter (1½ stick), at room temperature
- 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. peppermint extract
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 10 oz. white chocolate, chopped or in chip format
- Crushed candy canes
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a mixer combine butter and sugar. Beat at a medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Mix in eggs, peppermint extract, and vanilla into the butter mixture. Scrape down sides to make sure everything is incorporated.
- At a lower speed gradually mix in dried ingredients until they are all combined.
- Forming dough into a disk, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Roll dough out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thickness and use a round 1½ cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Repeat until dough is used up.
- Place on baking mat and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Let cookies cool for at least 15 minutes
- Line cooled baking sheets with wax paper.
- Melt bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler.
- With an offset spatula spread a thin layer of the bittersweet chocolate onto the bottom of the cookie. Place on wax paper.
- Once done with all the cookies, place tray in the freezer until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.
- Melt white chocolate in double boiler (if white chocolate dries out, add in a small amount of canola oil and stir until smooth)
- Spread white chocolate onto top of cookie and sprinkle with crushed candy cane.
- Place back in freezer to set. Store in an airtight container.
Source- Adapted slightly from Annie’s Eats
