Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookie Stars Recipes

CHOCOLATE CHIP PEPPERMINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, then stir in vanilla and peppermint extracts. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT STARS

Steps:

• Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients; beat until dough holds together. Divide dough in half. Shape each piece into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm enough to roll, at least 45 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Set rack in center of oven and preheat to 300°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 3-inch star-shaped cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather scraps into ball. Wrap; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until tops feel firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking until all dough is used. Do ahead Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.
• Stir chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until smooth. Using small spoon, drizzle chocolate over cookies in zigzag lines. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Drizzle remaining chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate is set, at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 3 days ahead. Store cookies between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.****

CHOCOLATE-AND-PEPPERMINT STARS

Steps:

• Finely grind peppermint candies in a food processor.
• Whisk together flour, cocoa, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
• Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until combined, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, then vanilla, and beat for 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, and gradually beat in flour mixture until combined, about 2 minutes. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut out star shapes using 2 1/2-, 4 1/2-, and 5-inch cookie cutters. Cut a smaller star from the center of each cookie using cookie cutters that are about 1 inch smaller than the larger cutter used. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each 1 inch apart. Bake until slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Fill the center of each cookie with ground peppermints. Bake until candy melts, about 6 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets set on wire racks for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks, and let cool completely.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT CRUNCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Place graham crackers, sugared-side down, in a single layer on baking sheet with edges touching; set aside.
• Place butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until mixture reduces and is bubbly and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour over graham crackers, using an offset spatula to spread if necessary.
• Transfer to oven and bake until bubbling, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool 3 to 4 minutes, and sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Let cool completely; refrigerate briefly if necessary to set chocolate. Break into pieces and serve.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT CRUNCH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Stir 2 cups chocolate chips in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Measure 2/3 cup melted chocolate; transfer to small metal bowl and reserve for drizzling.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy.
• Add sugar and both extracts; beat until smooth. Add eggs; beat to blend. Beat in melted chocolate from medium bowl.
• Add dry ingredients; beat just to blend. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
• Measure 1 level tablespoonful dough; roll dough between palms to form ball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake cookies until cracked all over and tester inserted into center comes out with large moist crumbs attached, 8 to 9 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment paper to racks to cool completely.
• Rewarm reserved 2/3 cup chocolate over small saucepan of simmering water. Using fork, drizzle chocolate over cookies. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over, arranging some pieces with red parts showing. Chill just until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT STARS

Steps:

• Make Cookies:
• Make Buttery Sugar Cookie dough as directed, but reduce the flour to 1 1/3 cups and add the cocoa. Whisk the flour and cocoa together.
• Halve dough and wrap each half in wax paper, shaping each into a flattened rectangle, then store each half in a resealable plastic bag. Chill dough until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• While oven heats, roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) between two large sheets of wax paper to slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. (If dough becomes too soft to roll out, quick-chill on a baking sheet in the freezer or chill in the refrigerator until firm.)
• Peel back top sheet of wax paper and cut out as many cookies with cutter as possible. Transfer cookies, as cut, to a lined baking sheet, arranging them 1 inch apart. (If dough becomes too soft to remove the cookies, quick-chill on a baking sheet in the freezer or chill in the refrigerator until firm.)
• Gather, reroll, and chill scraps to form more cookies.
• Freeze or chill cut-out cookies on baking sheet until firm before baking.
• Bake cookies, one sheet at time, until edges are a shade darker and centers are set, 9 to 12 minutes. For picture-perfect cookies, use cookie cutters while cookies are hot from the oven to trim edges. (Keep trimmings for snacks.) Transfer cookies with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough. (Cool baking sheets and use fresh parchment between batches.)
• Decorate Cookies:
• Using the offset spatula or a small rubber spatula, spread cooled cookies with a thin layer of melted chocolate, then sprinkle with some crushed candy canes.
• Let cookies stand at room temperature until the chocolate has set, about 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT PUDDING COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in pudding mix. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and baking soda and beat until well incorporated. Stir in peppermint baking chips and chocolate chips until well combined.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to bake remaining batches.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SNAPS

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and mix the sugar with the peppermint essence. When the chocolate has melted, cool for 1 min, mix with the sugar, then pour into the tray. Spread to a very thin layer and chill until completely firm. Snap into shards to serve. Perfect as a garnish for puddings or with an after-dinner coffee.

PEPPERMINT STARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in crushed candies. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. , On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut into shapes with a floured 2-1/2-in. star cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., For glaze, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, milk and extract; stir until smooth. Tint with food coloring if desired. Spread over cookies.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CRUNCH COOKIE STARS

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or butter the baking sheets.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, dissolved coffee and vanilla extract until blended and smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until the flour is incorporated and the dough holds together. At first the dough will form fine crumbs; then it will come together in large clumps.
• Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a smooth ball. Place 1 piece of dough between 2 large pieces of wax paper and roll it out to slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top piece of wax paper. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cutter, cut out cookies. Slide a thin metal spatula under each cookie to loosen it, and place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the tops feel firm and look dull rather than shiny, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the second piece of dough, and then press all of the dough scraps together to form a smooth ball. Repeat the rolling and cutting process.
• For the icing: Dip a fork in the melted white chocolate and drizzle it randomly and generously over the tops of the cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. The candy will stick to the warm chocolate.
• Let the cookies sit until the chocolate is firm. The cookies can be stored between layers of wax paper in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.