Peppermint Bar Cookies Recipes

PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat butter, vegetable shortening, light brown sugar, and white sugar in a separate large bowl until creamy. Beat eggs, vanilla and peppermint extracts, and red food coloring into butter mixture until smooth. Gradually beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients until dough is smooth. Fold white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes into dough.
• Pinch off 1-tablespoon-sized pieces of dough, roll into balls, and place on ungreased baking sheets. Lightly flatten cookies with the bottom of a drinking glass.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are set but not browned, 9 to 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to finish cooling on wire racks.

PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

Steps:

• For the chocolate cookies: Cut two 13-by-18 pieces of parchment. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 2 minutes more.
• Place a sheet of parchment on a work surface. Transfer the dough to the parchment and cover with another sheet of parchment. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into an even layer that reaches the edges of the parchment. Slide the parchment and dough onto a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the top parchment from the dough and bake until firm and no longer shiny, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool completely.
• For the peppermint bark: Put all but 1 cup of the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until one-third of the chocolate is melted.
• Remove the bowl from the saucepan; keep the saucepan over low heat. Gradually stir the reserved 1 cup white chocolate into the bowl, a few pieces at a time, until all of the chocolate is melted; return the bowl to the saucepan for 5 to 10 seconds at a time as needed. Do not rush this step: It may take up to 10 minutes to melt all the chocolate.
• Wipe off any moisture from the bottom of the bowl. Stir the peppermint extract into the chocolate, then quickly pour over the cooled cookie base and spread in an even layer with a rubber spatula or small offset spatula.
• Sprinkle immediately with the peppermint candies, gently pressing the pieces into the white chocolate. Set aside at room temperature until firm, about 2 hours.
• Lift the bark cookie out of the baking sheet using the parchment and break it into pieces.

PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE BARS

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt butter and chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add the chocolate mixture and mix well. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture. Stir in nuts., Spread into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack., In a small bowl, cream butter, sugar and extract until light and fluffy. Add enough cream until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cooled bars. Melt chocolate and butter; drizzle over frosting. Cut into bars.

PEPPERMINT CREAM SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, espresso powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a disk; cover. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. fluted round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough., In a large bowl, beat butter and extracts until creamy. Beat in confectioners' sugar, alternately with milk, until smooth. Tint as desired with food coloring. Spread frosting on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of paper to hang over the sides.
• Make the shortbread: In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add butter and process until a smooth dough forms. Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake until firm to the touch, and sides of the crust are beginning to pull away from the pan, about 25 minutes. Cool completely.
• Make the filling: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, cream and peppermint extract. Beat until mixture forms a thick, smooth paste. Press filling evenly over shortbread. Chill to set the filling for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Use parchment paper overhang to lift the shortbread and peppermint out of the baking pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares (there should be 36 squares). Place squares on a rack placed over a parchment-lined sheet tray, and let them come to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt 7 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat, add remaining 2 ounces chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
• Add coconut oil, if using, and stir the chocolate until smooth. Spoon 1 teaspoon chocolate on top of a cut peppermint square, using the back of the spoon to spread chocolate to the edges. Be sure to fully cover the top of the square with chocolate. (Leave the sides exposed, though it's O.K. if some of the chocolate drips down.) Repeat with remaining squares.
• Let squares sit at room temperature until chocolate is set, at least 1 hour.

PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Spread 1/3 of the peppermint candy over a 9x13-inch baking pan lined with wax paper.
• Melt the milk chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just-barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, just until melted. Pour the melted chocolate over peppermint candy in the prepared pan. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the candy on top of the milk chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens, about 30 minutes.
• Melt the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just-barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. Stir in the oil-based peppermint flavoring. Pour the white chocolate over the milk chocolate, then spread the remaining 1/3 peppermint candy on top.
• Refrigerate until the white chocolate hardens, about 30 minutes. Cut or break into pieces to serve.

PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat butter with both sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and peppermint extract; beat until well combined. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Mix in bittersweet chocolate. Transfer dough to plastic wrap, form into a disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days; or freeze up to 1 month.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop scant tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating rack positions halfway through, until cookies are puffed and just set at edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Place starlight mints 1 inch apart on another parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until soft to the touch and just beginning to melt, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately top with another sheet of parchment that's been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Press firmly with another baking sheet or a large, heavy skillet to flatten mints into thin disks slightly smaller than cookies. Let cool completely on tray. Remove parchment. (Mints can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.)
• Spoon 1/4 teaspoon white chocolate onto center of each cookie. Top with a flattened mint, pressing slightly to adhere. Let stand until chocolate sets, about 1 hour; or refrigerate 5 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

PEPPERMINT BROWNIE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Put chocolate and ¼ cup/21 grams cocoa powder in a small heatproof bowl or glass measuring cup. Melt butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbly but not browned, and pour over the chocolate. Without stirring, let the mixture sit so the residual heat can melt the chocolate thoroughly while you whip the eggs and sugar.
• Put the eggs, both sugars and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture is pillowy and the sugars have begun to dissolve, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stir the chocolate mixture until glossy and smooth. If any solid pieces remain, you can microwave the mixture in 10-second bursts until everything is melted.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the peppermint extract and then the chocolate mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, then add the flour and remaining ¼ cup/21 grams cocoa, and mix on low until a few streaks of flour and cocoa remain. Use the spatula to finish folding in the dry ingredients to avoid overmixing. The dough will be looser than traditional cookie dough but not as thin as brownie batter.
• Use a ¼-cup cookie scoop or measuring cup to scoop 12 (2-ounce) balls of batter onto the prepared sheets and bake. After 10 minutes, take the sheets out of the oven and bang them once on the counter to create a craggy surface and dense texture. Sprinkle a bit of crushed peppermint candy in the center of each cookie and return to the oven for another 2 minutes.
• Let cool completely on the baking sheets. The cookies will keep for 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.