Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies
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!
Servings: 32 cookies
Ingredients
For the dark chocolate cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ Dutch-process cocoa powder*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the white chocolate buttercream frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar divided
- 1 cup white chocolate chips melted and cooled slightly
For the topping:
- crushed peppermint candies
- Sparkling sugar optional
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 282IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.4mg