Whip up these easy Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies all season long despite the holiday hustle and bustle.
Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies
Makes about 34 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces chopped 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- Crushed peppermint candies, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and peppermint extract with a mixer at medium speed until thick and creamy, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating until combined.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Using back of a rounded ¼-teaspoon measuring spoon dipped in flour, make an indentation in center of each ball.
- Bake until set, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven, and press down centers again using a clean, rounded 1-teaspoon measuring spoon. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Place bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil over medium heat. Pour hot cream over bittersweet chocolate, and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. If necessary, microwave mixture in 10-second intervals until chocolate is melted completely. Allow to thicken slightly at room temperature, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag; cut ½-inch opening at end of bag.
- In a separate small, heatproof bowl, microwave white chocolate in 10-second intervals until melted and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag; cut a ¼-inch opening at end of bag.
- Pipe bittersweet chocolate ganache into centers of cookies. Drizzle with white chocolate. Top with peppermint candies, if desired. Freeze until set, 15 minutes.
