Peppermint Meltaways
December 18, 2018
‘C’ IS FOR COOKIE… AND CHRISTMAS!
If Thanksgiving is the holiday of pie, then Christmas is undoubtedly all about cookies. I love the tradition of sharing cookies and cookie recipes with friends, family, and neighbors. Cookie swaps are a festive, tasty, and low budget way of getting together and gifting during the holiday season. I love making these showstoppers as my contribution as they’re just a cut above the average cookie. If your kids still believe in Santa like mine, whip up a batch of these to leave out for ol’ Saint Nick… your significant other will appreciate it when they’re stealthily sneaking into the living room at 2 a.m.
MELT IN YOUR MOUTH
Peppermint and chocolate is a timeless flavor combination and one that’s perfectly frosty and sweet for the winter time. Bundle up with a batch of these Meltaways and a cup of peppermint hot cocoa to wash them down! Add your Christmas movie of choice, get a crackling fire going, and you’ve got a cozy holiday staycation all from the comfort of your own home. Wrapped up in a nice cookie tin, they also make the perfect homemade gift to extend some Christmas cheer.
CANDY CRUSH
The not-so-secret to these is the addition of not one, but two types of candy. I mean, it’s the season of giving so why not treat yourself?! To crush the peppermint candies, you can go one of two routes: put them in a large resealable bag and crush with a heavy-duty rolling pin or skillet, or pulse in a food processor (how fine of a texture is up to you). Tip: if you’re looking to skip the step completely, I have seen pre-crushed candy at World Market. I just love the finished look of these cookies because they scream “winter wonderland” with a light dusting of powdered sugar snow.
Peppermint Meltaways
- Yield: 2 dozen 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup finely crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
- 24 chocolate teardrop candies (I like Hershey’s Kisses)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine ½ cup of the powdered sugar and the butter and mix until light and fluffy. Add the peppermint extract and mix to combine. Next, slowly add the flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine remaining ½ cup powdered sugar and the peppermint candies.
Roll the dough into twenty-four 1 ½-inch balls. Insert 1 chocolate morsel into each ball and re-roll to ensure that the cookie dough encases the chocolate. Next, transfer to the bowl with the powdered sugar and crushed candies rolling each to coat.
Place the balls on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until they start to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to wire cooling rack. Cool until they are just cool enough to handle, 5 minutes. Return the cookies to the bowl with the powdered sugar and crushed candies and toss gently until each cookie is coated.
Store in an airtight container.