Okay, look, I'm not going to lie to you.
This is a Christmas cookie.
I came to a very real realization (real realization?) last week. Here it is:
There are entirely too many holiday recipes to try in an entirely too short holiday season.
Right? RIGHT?? You've got all of a month, maybe two if you decide to include November, to make Christmas related food, and you've got a pile of recipes that you've always wanted to try but never have because there was just. no. time. Am I right? I'm not the only one with this problem, I can feel it.
Anyways, this is what I was explaining to Mike the other day as I baked these cookies. He completely understood. Or pretended to so that he could eat cookies.
Let's face it, I'm going to be listening to Christmas music here in a month or so anyways, I might as well be baking to go along with it.
So, my plan is to bake minty, gingerbready, Christmasy type things throughout the year, and then when Christmas rolls around, I don't need to try anything out. I'll know exactly what I want to bake.
I'm so logical.
Peppermint Meltaways
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- FROSTING:
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
Directions
- In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
- Shape into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
- In a small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, extract and food coloring if desired; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3-1/2 dozen.
I definitely forgot to take a before picture until they were about a minute into baking. Hence the blurry, oven picture.
These cookies are so. crumbly. and. good.
There's actually not much sweetness to them. Just a little hint.
The combination of the frosting and the cookie is perfect together. The frosting was SUPER runny, but set up very nicely.
Also, I could've sworn I had Andes mint chunks in my fridge and I was all ready to color the frosting green and put the chunks on top, but I was out of them somehow? So I settled for just regular, old red.
Really good cookies!!
Recipe Source: Taste of Home