Description

These soft dark chocolate cookies are topped with a white chocolate buttercream frosting, peppermint crunch pieces and sparkling sugar. This is the ultimate Christmas cookie!

Ingredients

Scale

For the dark chocolate cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 Dutch-process cocoa powder*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the white chocolate buttercream frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
1 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly

For the topping:

Peppermint crunch sprinkles or crushed peppermint candies/candy canes
Sparkling sugar (optional)

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Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
First, make the cookies: In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on high speed 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla. Beat on high speed for another 3 minutes.
In a separate large bowl, sift or whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture until just combined.
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap (or, shape dough into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap). Refrigerate at least 1 hour, but no longer than 24 hours.
Remove dough from refrigerator; let sit 5 minutes, then use a cookie scoop or a spoon to roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (1 1/2 tablespoons each). Place dough balls on prepared cookie sheet spaced 2 inches apart (you’ll have to bake in batches, so refrigerate extra dough while cookies are baking). Press down dough balls to flatten slightly.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are dry and tops begin to crack. Remove cookies from oven; press down with back of a cookie spatula to flatten tops of cookies. Cool cookies 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Next, make the frosting: In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar on high speed 4 to 5 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted chocolate on medium speed until just combined. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar on high speed 1 to 2 minutes or until frosting is fluffy and smooth.
Finally, decorate the cookies: Use an offset spatula to frost each cookie with approximately 1 tablespoon frosting. Top with peppermint crunch and sparkling sugar as desired. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Notes

*It’s important to use Dutch-process cocoa powder in the cookies for that rich, deeply chocolaty flavor and color. Here is my favorite Dutch-process cocoa powder, though Hershey’s Special Dark works great, too.