Peppermint is a staple flavor of the season. These crisp, bittersweet chocolate cookies are stuffed with a fluffy peppermint buttercream and coated in crunchy candy cane pieces.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
½ cup room-temperature salted butter
½ cup room-temperature whole milk
1 room-temperature large egg
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup dark cocoa powder
1¼ tsp. baking powder
Peppermint frosting, for filling (recipe follows)
12 mini candy canes, crushed
PREPARATION
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the milk and egg and mix until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa and baking powder, then add to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until combined.
• Drop level tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, then bake until the edges are set and centers look mostly done, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
• Assemble the cookie sandwiches by spreading or piping the frosting to the edges of the bottom of a cookie, then sandwiching with another cookie.
• Place crushed candy canes on a plate and roll cookie sandwiches so candy canes stick to frosting. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
This article appears in December 2019.