Christmas Cookie Week - Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

*Have you entered my giveaway for the lovely brass knot earrings??
It is day 3 of this awesome cookie series I have going on right now and since it is Christmas time, how could I not have something that has peppermint in it? I mean that would be like Halloween without pumpkin, just simply unbelievable! This recipe I found over at Martha Stewart and thought they look incredible and had to make them myself. On to the recipe!

First, gather together your ingredients. You need 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch is preferred), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt,  5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, 3/4 cup white sugar, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract, 8 large candy canes or 30 peppermint candies, crushed, 2 pounds white chocolate, coarsely chopped.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, the cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In your mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together.

Then add in the egg, then mix then add in the yolk.

Add in the peppermint extract. Slowly incorporate your flour and cocoa mixture into the wet batter and give it a good mix.

 Divide the dough into two portions and wrap in plastic wrap to go into the freezer for at least an hour.

 After the dough has been in the freezer long enough, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Roll out one portion of dough and return it to the freezer to freeze again for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, cut out circles out of the dough and place the cut-outs into another cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Return the cut-outs to the freezer for another 15 minutes

. Finally, you can pop those cookies into the oven for about 12 minutes or until they feel dry to the touch. Pull the cookies out and set them on a rack to dry. Continue the freezing, rolling, freezing, cut-out then freeze cycle with the other portion of dough. When all the cookies have been baked, you are ready for the covering stage. Unwrap your candy canes in a plastic bag and crush them, I pounded them with my rolling pin and set aside.

Melt your white chocolate in a double boiler over the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl. Once it is fully melted, dip the entire cookie into the white chocolate, cover the cookie completely. On a drying rack set the cookie and then sprinkle the crushed up candy canes on the top.

 Then let the cookies harden, then serve, eat and enjoy! 
And come back tomorrow for another Christmas cookie!

How to package these!

Source: paperplateandplane.wordpress.com via Meg on Pinterest

And do you want to see our Christmas photo this year?