How about another one of those Christmas recipes I was talking about?
Oh these are so good. For the past two years, I've gotten Better Homes and Gardens Christmas cookie magazine that they publish every year. Completely worth it, you should invest in it later this year. Some of the best cookie recipes are in it.
Including this one! I've been keeping an eye on this recipe for 2 years and I finally got around to making it last weekend. Better late than never right?
I love a recipe that does exactly what it says it's going to do and this one does it.
They're kind of like the Girl Scout thin mints, except a little softer. But still crumbly, and minty, and good.
Chocolate-Glazed Peppermint Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
Chocolate Peppermint Coating
2 12 oz packages semisweet chocolate pieces
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies (optional)
1. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.
2. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 10-inch roll. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill about 1 hour or until dough is firm enough to slice.
3. Preheat oven to 375. Cut rolls into 1/4 inch slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool.
4. In a medium saucepan, combine the semisweet chocolate pieces, shortening, and peppermint extract. Cook and stir over medium low heat until chocolate and shortening are melted.
5. Dip each cookie into chocolate peppermint coating, turning to coat all sides of the cookie. Using a thin metal spatula, scrape off excess coating so cookie is covered with a thin layer (reheat coating as necessary). Place cookies on cookie sheets lined with wax paper. If desired, sprinkle with crushed candies while coating is still wet. Chill until coating is set.
Okay I will say this, you'll probably have chocolate coating left over. You'd probably be okay doing a little less than what it says, that's up to you though. Also, I put mine on wire racks to let the chocolate drip down, after being dipped. Then, I put them in the fridge for just a little bit to set up slightly, then removed them again so that they didn't set completely to the racks. Does that make sense? I let them set completely at room temperature. I was just worried about them setting up on cookie sheets with a pool of chocolate around them. I suppose if you really wanted to, you could set them up on a cookie sheet and just scrape off as much of the coating as possible, while still leaving the cookie covered.
These should be layered between sheets of waxed paper, in the fridge, to store them.
This is how the butter should look after it takes a beating!
Look, there's probably going to be jokes about this looking like poo wrapped in plastic. Just accept it and move on. They're good cookies. It's worth it.
This is how they should look after baking, see how the edges are set?
Mmmmmmm
Here's how you need to store them!
Merry Christmas!
Recipe source: Better Homes and Gardens