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Hints of peppermint, dark chocolate and white chocolate- these double dark chocolate peppermint cookies are soft, fudgy and oh so indulgent!
Helloooo Christmas cookie baking season!
I know… another dessert recipe! It was not my intention to post another dessert recipe right after my Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie with Vanilla Bean Cream; but it IS the season for baked goods and extra fun desserts! I promise I have some delicious dinner recipes coming SOON… but in the meantime, here are some pretty fantastic cookies you should probably be baking right now.
I will warn you: these are VERY chocolatey. If you’re not a chocolate lover, then these are not for you. But I might assume you are a chocolate lover if you’re reading a recipe post for fudgy double dark chocolate cookies, in which case, you are going to love how decadent and rich these cookies are.
They. Are. So. Good!!!
Come Christmas time I shift from my pumpkin obsession to chocolate and peppermint. And eggnog. And gingerbread. Pretty much all the festive flavors…. But chocolate and peppermint will always be a favorite holiday combination and go-to.
If you’re a fan of dark chocolate and peppermint together, then you’re definitely going to want to add these to your Christmas cookie baking line up.
Some Tips and Tricks:
These cookies stay wonderfully soft and fudgy even after they have cooled, so they are the perfect cookie to add to your cookie box exchange! As long as they are in an air tight container, they will stay fresh and soft for days.
You will notice this recipe doesn’t call for much flour, thats because the main base will be melted dark chocolate. Yup. ALLL the chocolate. We’re not skimping on the chocolate here!
To melt the chocolate chips, place them in a microwave safe bowl with the butter and heat in intervals of 20 seconds. Stir, and repeat until the chocolate is completely smooth and melty, but don’t overcook the chocolate! Then immediately add the peppermint extract and vanilla and whisk until smooth. The melted chocolate will thicken as it cools fairly quick, so you’re going to want to work fast to keep that melted chocolate at the right consistency.
When the chocolate is all melty and smooth, you will then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. At this point you’re going to want to make sure you don’t over mix the dough; slowly stir until just combined. The dough will look more like brownie batter, thats ok!
You will notice the temperature change once you put these in the oven; that is to insure these cook at a lower temperature for longer so they bake up nice and fudgy.
Why espresso powder? Don’t worry, these cookies wont taste like coffee; (although that would be a good variation..!) When you add espresso powder to chocolate recipes, it creates an even deeper chocolate flavor, which is always a good idea.
These cookies are delicious with the added dark chocolate and white chocolate chunks on top, but that is optional! I do recommend it though because we could all use more chocolate, right?!
The crushed candy canes are also optional- but the added touch sure makes these cookies oh so pretty! And extra delicious.
Recipe adapted from: Baker by Natures Double Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Cookies
If you make this, be sure to tag #butternutandsageblog on Instagram!
Recipe
Fudgy Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened (not dutch process) cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract *see notes
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ⅔ cups Ghirardelli white chocolate peppermint bars, broken into chunks
- ⅔ cups good quality dark chocolate bars, broken into chunks
- crushed candy canes for tops (about 3 candy canes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, combine one cup of the chocolate chips and the butter. Heat in the microwave for 20 second intervals, mixing between each time, until butter and chocolate are completely melted and can easily be whisked smooth. Immediately whisk in the vanilla and peppermint extract.
- Whisk in both sugars. Beat in the eggs and milk. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and stir to combine – be careful not to over mix! Fold in the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips, and gently stir to combine.
- Leaving 1 inch between each cookie on the sheet, scoop heaping ⅛ cupfuls of the batter on the prepared baking sheets. Baking one tray at a time, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees right after you place them in the oven.
- Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops are dark and shiny. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and press the white chocolate and dark chocolate chunks on top. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have peppermint extract you can also use torani peppermint syrup; just do two teaspoons instead of one. OR one teaspoon peppermint schnapps. You can also leave the peppermint out completely.
These are sure fun to make with littles. My daughter sure enjoyed decorating these with me and helping out with the picture taking. I love that we get to share these moments together, because in the end, thats really what its all about this Christmas season.
If you make these I can’t wait to hear how these turn out for you! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to subscribe so you can stay up to date on all the latest recipes!
Happy cookie baking season!
Here are some more cookie recipes we think you would love:
Thick and Chewy Pumpkin Pecan “snickerdoodle” Cookies
Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet
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