Holiday Peppermint Cookies (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Cookie Dough Base
01 -
1 stick of softened unsalted butter (that's half a cup)
02 -
Half a cup of granulated sugar
03 -
A third cup of firmly packed light brown sugar
04 -
1 and a half teaspoons of vanilla extract
05 -
1 large egg
06 -
1 and a half cups all-purpose flour (about 204 grams)
07 -
Half a teaspoon of sea salt
08 -
Half a teaspoon of baking soda
→ Mix-ins
09 -
Three-quarters cup of white chocolate chips
10 -
Three-quarters cup of dark chocolate chips
11 -
5 candy canes, finely crushed (roughly 5 tablespoons worth)
# Instructions:
01 -
Grab your mixer and blend together the softened butter with both sugars until you get a light, fluffy mixture. This step is really important - let it mix for a solid 3 to 4 minutes. Then mix in your vanilla and egg just until everything comes together, which should only take about 20 seconds. You don't want to overbeat at this point or your cookies will turn out tough.
02 -
In a different bowl, whisk your flour together with the sea salt and baking soda. Once that's ready, gradually fold these dry ingredients into your butter mixture until you don't see any more flour streaks.
03 -
Gently fold in both kinds of chocolate chips along with your crushed candy canes until they're evenly distributed throughout the dough.
04 -
Cover your dough tightly and pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, though you can let it chill for up to 3 days if you want to prep ahead. If you've chilled it for more than a couple hours, just let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before baking so it's easier to work with.
05 -
Heat your oven to 350°F. Scoop the dough into balls and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes until the edges just start to turn golden. Here's a pro tip: when they come out, you can use a round cookie cutter to gently push the edges together for perfectly round cookies. Pull them from the oven when they still look slightly underdone - they'll finish cooking as they cool.
06 -
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Then try to resist eating them all at once!
# Notes:
01 -
The flour measurement is crucial here - use about 204 grams if you have a kitchen scale, which works out to roughly 136 grams per cup. Keep some extra flour handy just in case your dough seems too sticky.
02 -
Don't rush the creaming step! Beating the butter and sugar for the full 3 to 4 minutes creates air pockets that help your cookies get that perfect texture. Skip this and you'll end up with flat cookies.
03 -
Watch out for candy cane pieces near the edges of your dough balls - they tend to melt and run. Either press them into the center or remove larger chunks from the edges before baking. Crushing the candy canes really fine helps prevent this issue.
04 -
If your chilled dough still spreads too much when baking, mix in an extra tablespoon or two of flour to help the cookies hold their shape better.
05 -
When doubling or tripling this recipe, remember the flour amount doesn't scale automatically in converters - you'll need 408 grams for a double batch and 612 grams for triple.