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Thursday, February 13, 2014

Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Chips

I have a bit of an obsession with homemade cookies.  I love finding new ways to make cookies that are a little bit different and not just an ordinary cookie.  Granted, our Jumbo Oatmeal Cookies are pretty outstanding for a basic cookie, but sometimes I like to make WOW cookies. And what could be better than chocolate with peppermint?

Yes, it's easier to just grab a package of store bought cookie and your kids will certainly eat them, but cookies made from scratch are just so much better.  And if you bake from scratch, you know your kids aren't eating a bunch of preservatives.  What kind of weird chemicals do companies put into a cookie so it can sit on the store shelf for 6 months or a year without spoiling? I think I'll pass, thank you.


So for this week's cookie surprise, we made a rich Chocolate Cookie with Peppermint Chips.  I found a package of these tiny peppermint baking chips at Target and they worked so well in this recipe, that I went back to the store to buy a few more.  If you are lucky enough to find a few packages of Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips at your local market, scoop them up without hesitation!  These little chips have so many uses and I can't wait to experiment with them in a few more recipes.  They have a slight creamy texture with this bright peppermint flavor.  Here is a picture of the package so you can be on the lookout for the chips.  I'm not sure if these are just a seasonal item or not but I'm hoping these will be available year round.


The chocolate cookie recipe I used is the base recipe for our Triple Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling.  We added the 5 ounces of peppermint chips to the dough (using half of the bag was plenty so you'll have enough for 2 batches) along with the milk chocolate chips.  The classic chocolate and peppermint flavor was so good and not overly sweet, and goes great with a cup of coffee or cocoa.  This is a great tasting homemade cookie that would be something unique to take to your next potluck or school function, and I hope you get a chance to try them.  Enjoy!!

1 cup  Flour
1/2 cup  Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp  Baking Soda
1/4 tsp  Salt
4 oz  Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
1 stick (4 oz)  Unsalted Butter
1-1/2 cups  Sugar
1 tsp  Vanilla Extract
2  Large Eggs, beaten
4 oz  Milk Chocolate Chips
5 oz  Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

Preheat oven to 325.  Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or baking sheet liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the unsweetened chocolate and the butter over low heat, stirring frequently.  Scrape the melted chocolate into a bowl to cool.  Stir in the sugar and vanilla and blend.  Stir in the eggs, followed by the flour mixture and blend until you have a smooth dough, then fold in the milk chocolate chips and peppermint chips.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets.  Flatten the cookies slightly and bake for 13 - 14 minutes or until the cookies are firm outside and just a bit soft in the center.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

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