Chocolate Peppermint Dipped Holiday Cookies
For a Christmas cookie sure to be the hit of the holiday party, you'll love my double chocolate peppermint cookies! Chocolate cookies are dipped in white and dark chocolate flavored with peppermint oil and topped with crushed candy canes.
Servings 48 cookies
Calories 125kcal
Ingredients
Chocolate Slice and Bake Cookies
- 20 tbsp (2 1/2 sticks, 10 oz) unsalted butter, cool room temperature, divided
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- 1 cup (7 oz) granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup (11 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp table salt
Chocolate Peppermint Coating
- 8-10 oz dark chocolate flavored melting wafers
- 8-10 oz white vanilla melting wafers
- 2-3 droplets peppermint oil
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
Chocolate Slice and Bake Cookies
- Bloom the Cocoa Powder: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the cocoa powder and espresso powder to make a smooth paste. Let cool for 15 minutes.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a standing mixer with the flat beater, cream together the remaining butter with the sugar and the butter/cocoa mixture. Mix on high for 3-4 minutes, or until it is light and fluffy.
- Make the Dough: Add the egg yolks and vanilla. Mix on medium until combined. Scrape down the bowl and mix for 1 minute.
- Stir together the flour and salt.
- Set the mixer to low. Add the flour by thirds (1/3 at a time) and mix each addition until just combined, scraping down the bowl of the mixer before adding the next.
- Once you've added all the flour, take the bowl off the mixer and use a spatula to finish mixing and make sure you have a cohesive dough.
- Shape and Chill the Dough: Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper and then shape the dough into a rough log, about 12 inches long.
- Wrap the parchment paper around the log so that it wraps around the log and covers it completely with some room on both ends.
- Take the top side of the parchment and tuck it in against the log to make a fold. Use a bench scraper to press along the fold and even out the log of the dough into a smooth cylinder.
- Chill the dough until completely firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. (If you are storing the dough in the refrigerator for more than a few hours, put the dough in a sealed bag.)
- Bake the Cookies: Heat oven to 375F. Line baking trays with parchment paper.
- Slice the cookies 1/4 inch thick. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Then rest the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Chocolate Peppermint Coating
- Melt the Chocolate: Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water. Add the dark chocolate melting wafers to a bowl large enough to fit over the saucepan but not touch the water.
- Bring the water to a simmer (don't let it boil!) Place the bowl over the saucepan and gently heat the wafers, stirring frequently, until they are nearly melted. Remove the bowl and place on a towel. Stir the chocolate until fully melted. (Alternatively, place it in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at half power. Stir. If not melted, continue microwaving for 15 second intervals at half power and stirring each time until mostly melted.)
- Add 1-2 droplets of peppermint oil to the chocolate and stir.
- Dip the Cookies: Dip the cookies into the chocolate (dip in half the cookie for two tone cookies or the whole top for single tone). As you finish each one, place on a cooling rack so they can set.
- Sprinkle on some of the crushed candy canes while the coating is still wet.
- Once the chocolate has set and is glossy, repeat the process with the white melts.
Notes
- Chocolate Melting Wafers: Chocolate wafers are sometimes called candy melts. They contain oil in place of the cocoa butter which means they can simply be melted to coat the cookies and will create a hard, glossy coating when set. I used Ghirardelli Wafers in dark and white.
- Using Chocolate with Cocoa Butter: If you don't want to use candy melts, you can use chocolate chips instead. However, note that you will need to keep the cookies in the refrigerator since chocolate loses its hardness and gloss when melted. Or you will need to temper to keep the cookies at room temperature.
- Peppermint Oil: Chocolate (or candy melts) and water do not mix. This means you need to use a peppermint oil and not a peppermint extract. Peppermint oil can be purchased on line or in stores with a cake decorating aisle (such as Michaels). Note that peppermint oil is VERY STRONG. Add it by small drops until you are happy with the flavor.
- Thinning the chocolate: If you want to make sure you have a very smooth coating on the cookies, add 1 teaspoon of canola oil, coconut oil, or shortening to each bowl of melted coating. (I don't recommend butter, since butter contains water and water can seize your chocolate.)
- Cookies Post: While I have included all of the recipe information for the cookies here, you may want to read the full Chocolate Slice and Bake Cookies post with all the tips.
Nutrition
Calories: 125kcal