Christmas Cookies for Santa: Third Time’s a Charm!

When I sampled the chocolate chip cookies, Einstein’s light bulb lit up in my head. Santa loved chocolate. What man circling the world in one single night could resist that warm, tingling feeling from a bite of chocolate that shoots all the way to the tips of your fingers and toes? With such a cold and long trip, I knew Santa longed for a pure chocolate cookie.   

 

But then thoughts of sweet minty candy canes entered my brain. Maybe Saint Nick liked sucking on a few of these to remind him of Mrs. Claus’s peppermint perfume during the sleigh ride. To marry Santa’s two loves—chocolate and his wife—into a single treat, I baked a batch of chocolate peppermint cookies.

 

 

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

based on CL’s chocolate-mint cookies 

makes 2-3 dozen

For an extra minty treat, sprinkle crushed peppermints or Andes mint pieces on top when the cookies are still warm. They’ll stick to the cookies and give them an extra kick!

1 c. flour

½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ c. packed brown sugar

½ c. granulated sugar

3 tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp peppermint extract

1 egg

1 egg white

cooking spray

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 min. Mix in the vanilla and peppermint extract. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the flour mixture, and mix just until incorporated.
3. Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap. Lightly coat your hands with cooking spray, and shape the dough into a 2”-diameter log. (I found if I got it into about the right thickness, I could roll it up in the plastic wrap and roll it around on the countertop like a rolling pin to make it circular.)
4. Cover the log with a second layer of plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or until firm. Optional: Leave in the freezer for up to 3-4 weeks. Allow it to thaw a little on the counter, 5-10 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly coat with cooking spray.
6. Cut the log into ¼” slices, and place onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 10 min. Remove from the pans and cool on wire racks.