It’s peppermint time!! I don’t know why the minty goodness is limited to winter, it’s not like it’s a seasonal fruit or anything, but I definitely appreciate its overabundance this time of year, especially when combined with chocolate. I still get enjoy my favorite Chocolate Peppermint Stick Luna Bars year round, but for the next month or so I’m making sure to get as many peppermint Joe-Joe’s, peppermint M&M’s, and of course, Peppermint Mochas as I can! I don’t discriminate between the Peppermint Mochas of Dunkin’ and Starbucks, although I do think that DD’s version is more of a hot chocolate treat with a splash of coffee and the opposite about Starbucks, so it just depends on my mood. When I got word of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap this year, I immediately signed up and knew what cookies I’d make with my most recent obsession – peppermint mocha cookies!
This recipe is a basic chocolate chip cookie that’s been amped up with espresso powder and a mix in of chopped peppermint white chocolate (I used Andes brand) as well as chocolate chips of course. The glaze has a few drops of peppermint extract mixed in and the topping of crushed candy canes make these cookies perfectly seasonal. I loved the way they baked up – thick cookies with a chewy exterior and soft center. The espresso powder makes the cookies a deeper color, which I think is really nice and something different for your cookie swap spread. As a part of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, I sent a dozen of these cookies to the three bloggers I was assigned, and received three shipments of cookies for myself from other bloggers. From the feedback I got, the cookies held up well in the mail and were thoroughly enjoyed! It was really fun to be a participate in the swap and felt great to be a part of such a fantastic community of food bloggers.
If you’re looking for a new cookie to add to your holiday repertoire this year, I highly suggest this recipe! It’s something different but fun and definitely Christmasy and I can attest that the recipe doubles and triples well :) Tis the season of cookies, and with another cookie swap next week, I’m always looking for new cookie recipes to try out. If you have any great ones, please leave a link in the comments – I’d love to hear your favorites! And if you can’t get enough of peppermint mochas like me, try my Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes too :) Happy holiday baking everyone!!
Peppermint Mocha Cookies
Yield: 20 cookies
Ingredients:
for the cookies:
2-1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp instant espresso
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg + egg yolk
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 cup chopped Andes Peppermint Bars or Peppermint Baking Chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
for the peppermint glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
3 candy canes, crushed
Directions:
for the cookies:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, cocoa powder, and instant espresso. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg, egg yolk, and extracts and beat until well mixed (scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary). Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Add the chopped peppermint candy and use a rubber spatula to mix until well incorporated. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight. When they're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and let the dough rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
Roll the dough into balls of about 2 tbsp each (I like to use a small ice cream scoop) and place on a parchment paper or Silpat-lined cookie sheet at least 1-1/2" apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are JUST starting to turn golden-colored. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
for the peppermint glaze:
In a small bowl mix together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, and peppermint extract until smooth. Add more milk for a thinner consistency or more powdered sugar to thicken it up, depending on how drippy you want the glaze to look. Transfer the glaze to a plastic squeeze bottle, piping bag, or ziplog bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle some glaze on each cooled cookie. Sprinkle crushed candy canes atop each cookie while the glaze is still wet. Allow the glaze to set before serving or packaging.
I cannot wait to make these! thank you for the recipe! Just so I don’t make a mistake, I don’t see when to add in the flour mixture. Can you let us know the right time to add that?
Again, thank you so much for this recipe! I love all of your ideas!
Erica — December 16th, 2013 @ 5:07 pm
Just added it – sorry about that!!