There’s a Christmas cookie debate going on in our house. My kids and I believe that everything can benefit from eating candy cane crunch this time of year. Adam, on the other hand, is adamantly opposed to event a. hint Mint on his cookies. In our quest to convert him, I made peppermint chocolate shortbread cookies that resemble soft, chewy snowballs wrapped around a melted chocolate center. Then we doubled the peppermint flavor by adding the extract to the batter and sprinkling crushed sugar cane on top.
One (or five) bites and even Adam was convinced. These are the best chocolate peppermint cookies we’ve all tried (even those of us who aren’t Team Peppermint). I will definitely be making a batch of these cookies for the holidays. Meetings throughout the season.
Why I Love These Peppermint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Melted chocolate center. Every bite of this cookie releases a rich chocolate flavor (think chocolate lava cake in cookie form).
- A new variation on snowball cookies. I wanted to reinvent the classic chocolate snowball cookies, so I added powdered sugar to make them look festive and Christmassy.
- Topping with crushed peppermint. Top with crushed peppermint for holiday flavor, crunch, and festive color.
How to Make Peppermint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Mix wet ingredients. This one-pot recipe starts off as expected. In a stand mixer, cream the unsalted butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and a large egg.
Add dry ingredients. Many recipes tell you to add the dry ingredients separately, but I prefer to do as few dishes as possible. Add all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, stirring slightly, then mix until wet ingredients are well combined.
Let cool for one hour. More details below, but this is a key step in ensuring your cookies maintain their shape. and Make sure it is soft and chewy.
Scoop into balls and roll in powdered sugar. This will give your cookies a festive snowball effect.
Glue a chocolate disk to the center of each cookie. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and add a chocolate disk to the center of each cookie dough ball. i like to use bittersweet chocolate Something slightly sweet or dark is also good here. This is the step that gives it a gooey molten lava cake-like center after baking.
Grill and leave slightly undercooked. Remember, we are going for a soft and sticky (not crunchy) consistency for these cookies.
Sprinkle with crushed peppermint. Do this while the chocolate is still melted. This will act as an adhesive to attach the peppermint. Then let it cool on a rack to set before eating.
The secret to peppermint cookie success
- Since candy canes melt in the oven, it’s a good idea to sprinkle them with crushed candy canes or peppermint as soon as they come out of the oven. Mash the chocolate while it’s still melted so you can attach the crushed candy canes!
- One of the secrets to soft and chewy cookies is to let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour before baking. At this stage, some of the water evaporates and the sugar content increases, which helps keep the cookies chewy.
- I’ll also undercook these cookies slightly so they stay chewy (not crunchy). We want a molten lava center that is not centrally located.
How to store and freeze
Batch Freezing I rarely make batch cookies without doubling the leftovers. I always love having freshly baked cookies on hand, whether it’s family movie night or just need an instant dessert to take to dinner or deliver to neighbors. These chocolate peppermint cookies will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. However, if you decide to freeze, you have two options to choose from:
Freeze the dough and bake when you’re ready to eat.
This is my preferred method for freezing cookies because you get all the rewards of truly freshly baked cookies. Instructions: Roll the cooled dough into a ball and proceed to step 4 of the recipe. But instead of rolling them in powdered sugar, place them on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This will make them hard enough that they won’t stick together. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a gallon size Ziploc and freeze for up to a month. When you’re ready to bake, let it thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes before proceeding with steps 5 through 8.
Freeze already baked cookies
If you have leftover cookies that you already baked, you can completely freeze them. Seal and freeze in a gallon size Ziploc for up to a month. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave at 50% power or place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350F oven for about 5 minutes.
More Chocolate Christmas Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
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Simple, festive and delicious. Need I say more?
explanation
These chewy peppermint chocolate shortbread cookies have an amazing melted center. The batter contains extracts and is topped with a double dose of peppermint along with crushed cane sugar.
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 big egg
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 12 Chocolate Baking Discs (Bitter or Semisweet)
- crushed peppermint
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Preheat oven to 375F.
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Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars over medium-high. Add both extract and eggs, then beat until well combined. Sprinkle flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt on top. Mix until just combined.
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Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm.
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Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll into tablespoon-sized balls. no way cookie scoop Makes this easy.
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Add the powdered sugar and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced about 1 inch apart.
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Place 1 chocolate disk in the center of each cookie and press down slightly.
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Bake for 10 minutes. You want the center to be slightly undercooked. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with crushed peppermint while the chocolate is still melted.
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Let cool on a wire baking rack and then eat!
