Triple Chocolate Peppermint Treats

Remember how I'm on a quest to find a delicious chocolate, brownie type cookie, with delectable frosting and candy cane kisses on top? Remember? WELL I DID IT!

Okay, so the cookie ended up not being a brownie cookie, but oh my gosh y'all, this is a fantastic treat. I had a few people send me good ideas for recipes that were similar to this, and I can pretty much guarantee I will probably end up making all of them at some point or another...
But then I got a Taste of Home email the other day, and this cookie was in it but with crushed up starlight mints on top. I looked at it and I thought "That's cream cheese frosting, I bet chopped up candy cane kisses would be quite yummy on top of that!" And, well, at the risk of sounding like a genius, I was right.

So here you are, a delicious Christmas time treat! (And I PROMISE, I will be getting my mom's caramel recipe to you BEFORE Christmas...)


Triple-Chocolate Peppermint Treats

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips

  • WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
  • 1/2 cup white baking chips
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies (or candy cane kisses!!!)

Directions:

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  • Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
  • In a microwave, melt baking chips; stir until smooth. Cool.
  • In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in melted chips. Frost cookies; sprinkle with peppermint candies. 

*My only side note, I think a teaspoon is a ridiculously small amount of dough to make a cookie. I did about a tablespoon of dough for each and I got 5 dozen out of this. I also put about a tablespoon of frosting on top of each one and it was practically perfect in every way. Also, when sprinkling on the kisses (or mints), push them into the frosting a little bit. And above all else, for the love, please enjoy these! 
Mike said he could've eaten a whole plate of the cookies by themselves, without the topping. It's all good, either way :)


Anticipaaaaaaaaaaaaation!!!! (read that as if Oprah was saying it)



I flattened them slightly, before baking. It's a very thick dough and won't spread much. You don't have to flatten it, but I prefer flat cookies to round ones. This is suddenly sounding like a conversation about boobs...


I know, right?


It's delicious people!!!!


Recipe source: Taste of Home