Description
These White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies combine a soft, buttery dough with the festive flavors of peppermint and white chocolate. Perfectly baked to golden edges and dipped in melted white chocolate adorned with crushed candy canes, they make an irresistible holiday treat that’s both visually stunning and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 ¾ cups white all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Topping
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- ½ cup crushed candy canes
- 1 Tablespoon shortening (optional, for thinning chocolate)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside for cookie placement.
- Cream Butter: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter until smooth using a mixer.
- Add Sugar: Add granulated sugar and cream together on medium-low speed for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- Mix in Egg and Peppermint: Beat in the egg and peppermint extract until fully incorporated into the mixture.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to ensure even distribution.
- Add Dry to Wet: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients at low speed, mixing just until no flour streaks remain.
- Fold in White Chocolate Chips: Use a spoon to gently fold in one cup of the white chocolate chips until evenly distributed in the dough.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop approximately ½ tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball using your hands. Place the balls about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat Shaping: Continue shaping the dough into balls until all dough is used, spacing evenly on the sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the bottom edges of the cookies start to turn golden brown.
- Cool on Baking Sheet: Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes to finish setting before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt White Chocolate: Place the remaining two cups of white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50 percent power in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. Avoid overheating.
- Thin Chocolate (Optional): If the melted chocolate is too thick, stir in shortening a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Dip Cookies: Dip each cookie halfway into the melted white chocolate, letting excess drip off. Clean the edge by dragging it gently on the rim of the bowl to achieve a neat dip.
- Set on Parchment: Place the dipped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet to allow the chocolate to harden.
- Add Topping: Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the wet chocolate for a festive and crunchy finish.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients help in achieving a smooth and uniform dough.
- Be careful not to overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added to maintain a tender texture.
- The chocolate dip can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator; rewarm gently before dipping.
- Crushed candy canes can be substituted with peppermint candies or left out if preferred.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
