The holidaying is in full force, and cookie season marches on. Well, I have your new holiday favorite right here, yes, new holiday favorite. I have boarded the peppermint train and it tastes so good. These Peppermint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with a Peppermint White Chocolate Coating are here to stay. Easy to make, no fancy decorating skills required and perfect for Christmas Eve night or any Holiday night!
Well, I have had a real doosey of a past couple weeks and it doesn’t even compare to my family that has had a real super duper double doosey of the past couple weeks. Hopefully, a corner has been turned though. But I think now is the time for baking escapism, is that a thing? Well it is now. Time to get elbow deep in butter, sugar and flour and get our baking on this weekend. It’s very therapeutic. Who needs Calgon (remember that commercial, “Calgon take me away”) we can just be taken away in sugar and spice and everything nice! On a side note, going back to Calgon, back in the day when we were kids, my mom was in the hospital having her gall bladder removed and she gave my Dad the grocery shopping list. Well she had Calgon listed (meaning, clothing detergent for laundry), my dad came with home with Calgon the bubble bath! Ha-ha, well, she came home from the hospital with loads of dirty laundry, but on the plus side, she could slip into the tub and have Calgon take her away!
Ok, back to the baking escapism. These are a new favorite of mine and I think they might be a new favorite of yours too. The dough comes together very quickly, just have to chill for about 2 hours before rolling. Then the decorating is literally just dunking them in melted white chocolate and sprinkling with crushed candy canes! No shame for creating ugly gingerbread that look more like creatures from the black lagoon or the undead or frosty the snowman that looks more like a dirty pile of melting snow. No more shame! Just chocolate, peppermint and white chocolate goodness.
Speaking of goodness, these cookies are light and crisp with just the right amount of peppermint that is not overpowering but subtle and offers that hint of cool peppermint. In fact, the cookie reminds me of everyone’s original favorite Girl Scout Cookies (no not the caramel coconut one, those are yummy too) but the all-powerful (not sure what powers, but all of them) Thin Mints! Just in festive holiday shapes, like a big fat Santa and big fat snowflakes. No, I am not fat-shaming Santa or snowflakes, those are the best kinds, big and fat.
See, big, fat, snowflake…be still my heart…you too fatty Santa!
Decorating made easy… and tasty!
Don’t forget to share! Season of giving!
With just three days until Christmas Eve, these should definitely be on your Christmas Eve agenda. They should also be on your Christmas Eve agenda even if you don’t celebrate Christmas. It would just be on your Tuesday night agenda! So, join me in some baking escapism and maybe some Calgon take me awaying (but not at the same time) and bake up a batch of my new holiday favorites, (and soon to be yours) Peppermint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies and escape into the holidays…or at least the flavors of them!
Happy Weekending and Holiday Baking Escapisming!
Diane
- For the Cookies:
- 1 ½ cups AP flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup of unsalted butter (two sticks) room temp
- ½ tsp. of salt
- 1 tsp. instant espresso powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. peppermint extract
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- For the White Chocolate Coating:
- 8.5 - 9oz white chocolate bars chopped
- 3 tbsp. finely crushed candy canes (I use a food processor, can use mallet or rolling pin to release aggression)
- ¼ cup roughly chopped candy canes for garnish
- For the Cookie Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl add the flour, salt and espresso powder. Next sift the cocoa powder into the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, around 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine, next add the yolk and combine. Add the vanilla and the peppermint extracts and mix. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated and the flour bits are mixed in.
- Turn dough out onto plastic wrap (can split in two and freeze one half for up to 3 months) and form into around a 6 inch disk. Cover fully with the plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours up to 3 days.
- Make the cookies:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Remove dough from the fridge. You many need to let it sit out for 5 to 10 minutes so it's easier to roll. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll dough out to about ¼ of inch thick. Dunk your festive cutters (I used, snowflake, Santa and small scalloped round) in the flour to coat the bottom. Cut out the cookie shapes and carefully place on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat process until the dough is used up.
- Pop the unbaked cookies in the freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Place baking sheets in the oven and bake 18 to 22 minutes, rotating from top to bottom halfway through. Cookies are done when the tops are harder to the touch and slightly shiny. Allow baked cookies to cool completely on wire racks.
- White Chocolate Coating:
- In a medium heat proof bowl place ¾ of the white chocolate in the bowl and microwave at 30 second intervals until completely melted and smooth. Stir in the remaining chopped white chocolate and stir until melted. If need be you can pop the bowl back in the microwave for 15 seconds until smooth. Add the finely crushed candy canes and mix to incorporate.
- Dunk the fully cooled cookies into the melted white chocolate. Place back on cooling racks for excess to drip off. Sprinkle with a little coarsely chopped candy cane for garnish. Allow the chocolate to completely set. You can speed up by popping in the fridge for around 30 minutes. Store in air-tight container at room temp or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Enjoy!
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