Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies will definitely get you on the Nice List!
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I’m a firm believer in the power of a good chocolate chip cookie. For the holiday season, I like to put a little pep into the step of my chocolate chip cookies by adding a flavor that tastes like Christmas, peppermint. Chunks of the distinctive red-and-white candies softened just enough in the baking process, will put a holiday twist on my beloved chocolate chip cookies. Of all the cookies I make for Christmas, these are the ones my family prefers to set out for Santa Claus, as they’ve proven to be quite a bit hit with Jolly Old St. Nick.
Cookie makers all know the fundamentals of a chocolate chip cookie and I’m not taking any extraordinary liberties with the usual recipe. However, I will tweak an ingredient or two for the purpose of pleasing my jolly guest. I always add cinnamon to my chocolate chip cookies; I love the subtle warmth and aromatics that this spice adds to the cookie. I’m adding peppermint both in extract and in hard candy form, both of which will infuse the cookie with that distinct peppermint flavor.
Typically, I make my peppermint chocolate chip cookies slightly larger than I would my usual chocolate chip cookies. I want to make sure that Santa has put me on his Nice List! These bake in the oven, melting into a perfectly sized cookie treat. They cool and are stored away, although when I want to share these, I’ll grab a decorative cellophane bag and a holiday ribbon and drop a few cookies off to my family, friends, and neighbors. A cookie as good as this peppermint chocolate chip cookie is meant to be shared! They strike the right balance between firm yet chewy, minty, chocolaty, and they’re the perfect snack to rest by the fireplace – or whatever entry point Santa uses in your home. Enjoy!
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup chocolate chip cookies (milk chocolate or semi-sweet)
- 1 cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets (2) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt) into a bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract and beat again until combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until the cookie dough comes together. Fold in the peppermint pieces and the chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
- With a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out 1-2 tablespoons of the dough for each cookie and drop the ball of dough on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 12-17 minutes depending on the size of your cookies, less time for smaller cookies, more time for larger cookies.
- Remove cookie sheets from the oven to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Recipe adapted from Beantown Baker
