Description
Dipped and drizzled with chocolate and topped with crushed peppermint, these tender Peppermint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are a fun and festive addition to any holiday cookie tray. They’re easy to make too!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (228g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (57g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (86g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 8–9 oz white chocolate melting wafers, for decorating, optional
- 2 oz chocolate melting wafers, for decorating, optional
- Peppermint pieces, for decorating, optional
Instructions
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is nice and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and peppermint extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is well combined. Don’t over mix.
- Turn the cookie dough out onto the counter or a piece of parchment paper. Shape the dough into a log and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, until firm, or until you’re ready to bake. The cookie dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days prior to baking.
- When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cut each log into about ¼ to ½ inch thick slices, depending on how thick you want them to be. Keep in mind that the thicker you make them, the less cookies you’ll get. If there’s a certain number of cookies you want, use a ruler to measure them out and mark the side of the log with the correct number before you slice them. You should be able to get roughly 20-27 cookies.
- Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 8-11 minutes. The time will vary based on how thick you cut the cookies and your oven. Thinner cookies won’t need to bake as long. You want to bake them just until they are no longer glossy on top.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for about 3-5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- If you are decorating with the chocolates, melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 15-30 seconds at a time, mixing after each interval, until melted and smooth. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 15-30 seconds at a time, mixing after each interval, until melted and smooth. Add the chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (like Wilton 3 or 4).
- Dip each cookie into the white chocolate and gently wipe some of the excess off by brushing the bottom of the cookie along the top side of the bowl, or just gently shake the excess off. Place on a piece of parchment paper. Drizzle the chocolate onto the other side of the cookies, then sprinkle on some peppermint pieces. You want to add the peppermint pieces before the chocolates dry, do that it sticks well.
- Allow the chocolate to dry fully, then store cookies in an air-tight container. Cookies are best if eaten with 4-5 days.
Notes
- Cocoa powder – I use Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, but feel free to use regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Melting wafers – I used white chocolate and chocolate melting wafers to decorate these cookies. Both are optional. I like to use Ghirardelli melting wafers, but almond bark and baking bars would also work.
- Peppermint pieces – You can buy these already crushed, or crush up your own candy canes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 171
- Sugar: 4.3 g
- Sodium: 4 mg
- Fat: 11.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.9 g
- Protein: 2.4 g
- Cholesterol: 20.5 mg