Happy holidays, friends! Are you in full-on holiday baking mode? No? Well, me, either. To be honest, I’m coming off of a busy and emotional couple of months which involved the deaths of two extended family members (not unexpected, but still hard), a nasty head cold, and a little too much travel. Christmas came on fast this year. I’ve been trying to balance all there is to do with an adequate amount of self-care, and I haven’t yet found the time to roll out my usual holiday batches of gingerbread or sugar cookies (though I will! I do love them so). I have, however, become slightly obsessed with these buttery, minty, chocolaty, crispy Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Cookies. They’re easy and un-fussy to make. They’re pretty and holiday-ish. And they’re utterly, delightfully, comfortingly scrumptious.
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Cookies are a riff on the most popular cookie I’ve ever made. This holiday season, I wanted something a little different, something not too perfect-looking or requiring tedious icing sessions, yet sporting an exquisite, irresistible flavor and texture. I also wanted something I could ship to friends and family as gifts without worrying about breakage or dryness. These cookies tick all those boxes.
I love the flavors of chocolate and peppermint, famously combined in peppermint bark, and absolutely bursting out of these cookies. I used a combination of dark chocolate chips and peppermint baking chunks. Semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate work as well, as would peppermint baking chips or even chopped peppermint bark.
This is a super-easy dough to throw together. Just cream the butter and sugars with a splash of vanilla, add the flour, and stir in the chips/chunks. Then tip the dough onto a hard surface, form it into a couple of logs, and chill. Boom. You can easily make the dough in advance (in fact, it’s better if you give it a nice long overnight chill to fully hydrate the flour).
Once they’ve had a chance to chill, it’s time to coat the dough rolls in crushed peppermint. Whether you buy pre-crushed candy or bash up some candy canes, I highly recommend a whirl in the food processor or a nut grinder to achieve a fine texture – like rough sand. If the pieces are too big, they won’t stick properly to the dough. The hard candy softens and melts into a delicate crispy-crunchy coating around the edges as the cookies bake. So good. Edited to add: after a few more rounds, I’ve determined that pre-crushed peppermint purchased in a bag (like this) perform best in this recipe. Candy canes or peppermints that you crush yourself seem to melt and spread a bit more.
Then slice them up (simply pressing them back together if they crumble a bit) and line them up on baking sheet before popping them back in the fridge for another quick chill (which stops the cookies from spreading in the oven). Bake until just barely golden brown on the bottom.
These have been a HUGE hit with everyone who’s tried them, and my multiple batches have gone fast. I’ve kept a few squirreled away, though, to enjoy with a cup of tea while the flurries whistle outside my window. Otherwise known as my new favorite form of self-care.
The holidays can be a tough time for so many reasons, and I’m noticing that this year seems particularly challenging for a lot of people in my circle. So if you’re willing, please join me: let’s all breathe a little deeper, work on being more patient in the face of life’s annoyances, and maybe offer some extra love to ourselves and those around us, whether it seems to be needed or not (chances are it is). Let’s share our cookies. And be sure to save some for yourself.
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Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 mins, plus chilling
- Cook Time: 15 mins/batch
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 24–44 cookies (depending on diameter) 1x
Description
Buttery and chocolaty, with a meltingly crisp peppermint coating, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Cookies are a scrumptious twist on a holiday classic.
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled salted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract (not imitation)
2 TB water
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chopped dark chocolate
1/2 cup white chocolate peppermint baking chips/chunks, or chopped peppermint bark
1 egg, beaten (for brushing)
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candy*
Instructions
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl using a hand mixer, combine the butter with the granulated and brown sugars, vanilla, and water. Beat on medium-high speed until well-combined and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
2. Scrape the bowl down, reduce speed to low, and add the the flour, mixing until just combined and the dough is beginning to clump slightly. Mix in the chocolate and white chocolate peppermint chunks.
3. Dump the dough out onto a hard surface and use your hands to bring it together into a ball. Divide the ball in two and form two logs, each 1 1/2 – 2 inches in diameter.
4. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Chill at least 3 hours, up to a couple of days (overnight is perfect if you have the time).
5. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough logs from the fridge and allow them to soften slightly, 10-15 minutes.
6. Unwrap one dough log and brush it all over with the beaten egg. Roll the log in the crushed peppermint candy, using your fingers if needed to press the coating into the dough.
7. Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut the log into 1/2-inch slices. If the cookies crumble a bit, just mold them back together with your fingers.
8. Place the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving just a little space in between them (once chilled, they won’t spread much). Return baking sheet to the fridge to chill slightly again, 10-15 minutes.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 with the second log.
10. Remove the first batch from the fridge and pop straight into a 350 degree oven. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until just barely golden on the bottom.
11. Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a baking rack to cool fully.
12. Repeat with second batch.
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container, in layers separated by parchment or wax paper, for up to a week.
Notes
… After making multiple batches of these cookies, I’ve determined that pre-crushed peppermint purchased in a bag (like this) perform best in this recipe. Candy canes or peppermints that you crush yourself seem to melt and spread a bit more. Even if you buy the pre-crushed bits, consider using a food processor or meat mallet to grind them to a slightly finer consistency (think rough sand). If the pieces are too large, they won’t adhere well to the dough.
… these cookies make great gifts and travel well. For shipping, package the cookies tightly and securely in plastic bags and nestle into another container if possible to avoid any crumbling.
All I know is, IM A BIG FAN!!!! These cookies check all the yummy boxes!👌🎄🎄