When it comes to festive treats, Peppermint Chocolate Cookies are a holiday favorite. These delightful cookies combine rich chocolate with a refreshing hint of peppermint, making them perfect for the holiday season. Ideal for cookie exchanges, holiday gatherings, or simply enjoying a cup of hot cocoa, they’re sure to become a seasonal staple.
Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Why These Peppermint Chocolate Cookies Are the Best
Rich Chocolate Flavor: The cookies are made with high-quality cocoa powder and chocolate chips, creating a deep, rich chocolate flavor that pairs perfectly with the peppermint.
Refreshing Peppermint: The addition of peppermint extract and crushed peppermint candies gives these cookies a refreshing and festive twist.
Soft and Chewy Texture: These cookies have a soft and chewy texture, making them incredibly satisfying to bite into.
Ingredient Notes:
Base Cookie:
Semi-sweet baking chocolate: Melts into the batter to create a rich, chocolatey flavor.
Unsalted butter: Adds moisture and richness to the cookies, contributing to their soft texture.
All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the cookies.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: Intensifies the chocolate flavor and gives the cookies their dark color.
Baking powder: Acts as a leavening agent, causing the cookies to rise.
Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the cookies.
Packed light brown sugar: Provides moisture and a touch of molasses flavor to the cookies.
Large eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add moisture to the cookies.
Peppermint extract: Gives the cookies a refreshing peppermint flavor.
Vanilla extract: Adds a warm and sweet flavor to the cookies.
Marshmallows: Create a gooey, melted center when the cookies are baked.
Icing:
Powdered sugar: Provides sweetness and a smooth texture to the icing.
Cocoa powder: Adds a chocolatey flavor to the icing.
Unsalted butter: Creates a creamy texture and helps the icing to set.
Half and half: Adds moisture and helps to thin out the icing.
Peppermint extract: Gives the icing a refreshing peppermint flavor.
Serving Suggestions
With a Cup of Hot Cocoa: Peppermint chocolate cookies are best enjoyed with a warm cup of hot cocoa. The combination of chocolate and peppermint is perfect for a cozy winter treat.
For Holiday Gatherings: These cookies are a hit at holiday gatherings and cookie exchanges. They’re easy to make in large batches and always a crowd-pleaser.
As a Festive Gift: Package these cookies in a festive tin or box for a delightful homemade gift. They’re sure to bring joy to anyone who receives them.
Tips for Perfect Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Use High-Quality Ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the flavor. Look for high-quality cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and peppermint extract for the best results.
Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough before baking helps the cookies maintain their shape and enhances their flavor.
Don’t Overbake: Bake the cookies just until they are set around the edges. They will continue to cook slightly as they cool, ensuring a soft and chewy texture.
A Must Try
There’s nothing quite like the smell of peppermint chocolate cookies baking in the oven. These Peppermint Chocolate Cookies are the perfect way to treat yourself or your loved ones to something special. Rich, refreshing, and irresistibly delicious, they’re sure to become a favorite in your home.
Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 12 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate and broken on pieces or chopped
- 1/2 cup 113g of unsalted butter and diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
- 1 1/2 cups 213g of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup 21g of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1 1/4 cups 280g of packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp of peppermint extract
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 24 large marshmallows
Icing
- 2 cups of powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup 21g of cocoa powder
- 4 Tbsp 56g of unsalted butter and diced into small pieces
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter.
- Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring well between each, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In another medium bowl, combine flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to mix and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together brown sugar, eggs, peppermint extract, and vanilla.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture to the mixer and combine.
- Gradually add the flour mixture at low speed, mixing until just combined.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 1 hour, or until firm enough to handle. (For quicker chilling, divide the dough into two containers.)
- During the last 15-16 minutes of chilling, preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Scoop out slightly heaping tablespoons of dough, roll them into balls, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, spacing them 2 inches apart. Keep the remaining dough chilled.
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, until they are slightly under-baked.
- While the cookies bake, use kitchen scissors to cut marshmallows in half.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, place one marshmallow half on each cookie with the cut side down.
- Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 3 minutes, or until the marshmallows start to melt.
- Gently press down on the marshmallows to flatten them slightly.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to wire racks set over a baking sheet to cool completely.
For the Icing:
- Sift together the sugar and cocoa powder in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and cream. Stir frequently until the butter melts and the mixture simmers.
- Remove from heat, then whisk in the sifted sugar and cocoa powder until smooth.
- Stir in the peppermint extract.
- If the icing is too thick, add a little hot water to thin it; if it’s too thin, add more sifted sugar to thicken it.
- Spoon icing over the cookies immediately (or drizzle from a resealable bag with a cut corner). After icing, sprinkle each cookie with crushed peppermint before the icing sets.
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Peppermint Chocolate Cookies