Peppermint Bark Cookies Recipes

PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract on high speed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Dust your rolling pin, cookie dough, and work surface with cocoa powder. Roll each portion out to about 1/4″ thickness on a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Stack the pieces (with parchment paper between) onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling is mandatory so the cookies hold their shape. If chilling for more than a couple hours, cover the top dough piece with a single piece of parchment paper. You can chill up to 2 days.
• Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator and using a 2.5 inch circle cookie cutter, cut in shapes. Transfer the cut cookie dough to the prepared baking sheets. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.
• Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will still appear soft in the centers. Cool cookies on a baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before coating.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Melt the chopped white chocolate and oil together in a double boiler or in the microwave in 15-second increments, stopping and stirring after each until completely smooth. Add another drop of oil to thin out if needed. After melting, stir in 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Taste. Add 1/4 teaspoon more if desired. (I suggest using 3/4 teaspoon because when the white chocolate sets, the peppermint flavor won't be as strong.) Drop 1 cookie into white chocolate. Using a 2 or 3 pronged candy dipping tool, flip the cookie over to coat all sides. Lift the cookie up out of the chocolate and gently tap the dipping tool against the side of the bowl so excess white chocolate drips off. Slide coated cookie off the dipping tool onto prepared lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Repeat with remaining cookies.
• Allow chocolate to set completely in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or at room temperature for 90 minutes.
• Coated cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

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 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 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 BAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, then beat in the food coloring and vanilla and peppermint extracts, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the flour mixture in two batches until just combined.
• Spread the dough in the baking dish, pressing it with your hands until flat and even. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
• As soon as the bars come out of the oven, top with the white chocolate chips in a single layer. Let sit 2 minutes to soften, then spread into a thin layer with an offset spatula. Put the red candy melts in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Transfer to a small resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe diagonal stripes on top of the white chocolate. Sprinkle with the peppermint candies. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the bars cool completely.
• If the white chocolate is still soft, place the baking dish in the freezer for a few minutes until set. Lift the bars out of the baking dish, peel off the foil and cut into pieces.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl until combined.
• Combine butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract and mix until thoroughly combined. Mix in half of the dry ingredients until just combined. Mix in remaining dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in peppermint bark pieces, pecans, and crushed candy cane pieces.
• Place 1 tablespoon-sized balls of dough 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops of cookies just begin to set, 10 to 15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven until 350ËšF. Prepare baking sheets with silpat mat or parchment paper (two if you have them).
• Crush the candy canes. I used a food processor and pulsed until it was all crushed.
• Whisk together the rice flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
• Melt the butter, 60% chocolate, semisweet chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Or if you have a double boiler use that. Microwaving chocolate can be tricky, the key is short intervals. I do it in 15-20 second intervals (the closer to completely melted, the shorter the time). It took about 6 times or so. Stir in between every go in the microwave. The chocolate should be smooth without any noticeable chunks. Allow to cool slightly, but still fluid.
• While you're melting the chocolate, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high until light and frothy, about 5 minutes. This step is what will make the cookies have that shiny, crackly exterior.
• Turn the mixer to low, and add the melted chocolate/butter mixture to the eggs.
• Add the flour mixture. Scrape down sides of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
• Mixture should be silky and shiny. Slightly thick but with fluidity.
• Add the 1/2 cup of crushed peppermint, peppermint extract, and the white chocolate chips.
• Drop the cookies onto a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Dust with the extra crushed peppermint, reserving some for after baking.
• If you only have one baking sheet, prescoop the rest of the dough as well and set aside. Due to the chocolate content, this dough will harden up pretty quickly. It's perfectly fine to bake once they've hardened, but they're more difficult to scoop.
• Bake for 10 minutes, turning half way. Bake until the top looks glossy and cracked.
• The peppermint will have melted in the oven, it will harden back up, but for presentation, sprinkle some fresh peppermint on top if you'd like. Cool on the baking sheet at least 5 minutes. Transfer parchment or mat onto a cooling rack and cool until you can easily peal the cookies off the mat. Cool on cooling rack for another 20-30 minutes until completely cooled. You want to allow the cookies to set.
• These cookies are great when cooled, you can also warm them. They stay great for a few days in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.
• Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.
• Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.
• Stir white chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.
• Using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. Using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in refrigerator in airtight containers between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper.
• Mix it up:
• For a variation on this cookie, sprinkle the melted dark chocolate with chopped peanut brittle or peanut butter cups instead of the peppermint candies.

PEPPERMINT COOKIE BARK

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 15x10-inch pan with sides with cooking spray. In resealable food-storage plastic bag, place mints. With rolling pin or flat side of meat mallet, coarsely crush mints. Pour crushed mints into fine strainer; shake lightly so tiny pieces fall into large bowl (reserve larger pieces of mints for garnish).
• In large bowl with tiny mint pieces, stir cookie mix, butter, egg and flour until stiff dough forms. Press into pan. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips and oil on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth.
• With fork, drizzle half of melted chips over cooled bars. Sprinkle with reserved crushed mints. Drizzle with remaining melted chips. Let stand until set, about 10 minutes. Break into irregular 2- to 3-inch pieces. Store between sheets of waxed paper in tightly covered container.