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
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Pipe bittersweet chocolate ganache into centers of cookies. Drizzle with white chocolate. Top with peppermint candies, if desired. Freeze until set, 15 minutes.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/chocolate-peppermint-cookies/