Sunday, January 2, 2011

Chocolate-Candy Cane Cookies

Hello! I know I promised lots of recipes over Thanksgiving, but somehow that week moved very fast and by the next time I had a second to look up and breathe, final were done. Crazy! I'm now just under 7 months away from graduating, which is very exciting. But you're not really reading this to hear about my adventures in nursing, you're here for delicious recipes, so I'll get to it.

I spent the entire first week of my break baking and going to dinner parties... rough life, I know :) I discovered these cookies last year when I first started procrastinating for school by looking at cooking websites and blogs, and they've been a huge hit. The chocolate cookies aren't so sweet that they're cloying or make your teeth hurt, and the peppermint frosting adds a punch of sweet. Plus, it's like a dessert breath mint!

The first several times I made these cookies I didn't pay particularly close attention to the size of my cookie wafers, and they turned out to require ~5 bites to eat. Which isn't bad, but it's a lot of cookie and can be messy with the crushed candy cane outside, so I'd recommend trying to keep the dough to around 1 Tbs or less. Also, the easiest way I've found to crush the candy canes is to put them in a plastic bag that seals and beat on them with a rolling pin. It helps keep things mostly contained, otherwise you're likely to find minty shards in every nook and crevice of your kitchen for a long time to come.

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies from Epicurious.com
Depending on size of cookies, makes between 12-18 sandwich cookies

For Cookies:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg

For Filling:
1 cup + 2 Tbs powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp peppermint extract
*Can add 2-4 drops red food coloring if desired

1/2 cup crushed candy canes/hard peppermint candies

Instructions:
1. Whisk flour, cocoa and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In a larger bowl, beat sugar and butter until well blended, then beat in the egg. Add dry ingredients to the wet and beat until blended. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350º and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Roll ~1 Tbs of dough into a smooth ball and place on cookie sheet 2 in apart.
5. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each ball (edges will crack a bit).
6. Bake ~11 minutes, or until cookies don't look wet.
7. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, make the filling:

1. Beat powdered sugar and butter until well blended.
2. Add peppermint extract, and food coloring if desired, and beat until well blended.
3. Spread filling generously over flat side of 1 cookie, up to the edges, and then squish another cookie on top to create a sandwich.
4. Place crushed candy canes on a plate.
5. Roll the edges of the cookie sandwiches in crushed candy, so it sticks to the frosting
*If candy pieces aren't sticking, add more frosting just to the outside rim of the cookies.

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