Peppermint Shortbread Cookies Recipes

PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl.
• Use a pastry blender to cut in butter. You want very fine crumbs.
• Stir in extract, food coloring, and Andes peppermint crunch chips.
• Use your hands to knead the dough until it comes together and forms a ball.
• Shape dough into a log about two inches in a diameter and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two hours.
• Preheat oven to 325F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut slices of cookie dough about 1/4 inch thick and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or just until cookies are set. Do not over bake.
• Let cool for several minutes on baking sheet before removing to cooling rack. Let cool completely.
• Store in airtight container for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Gradually add flour and mix on low until combined. Add Andes baking chips and continue mixing on low until fully combined.
• On wax paper or parchment paper, form into a 12- to 14-inch log and freeze at least 30 minutes or until firm.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the shortbread dough into 1/4-inch slices and bake for 13-15 minutes on parchment lined baking sheets.
• Note: If you freeze the dough for longer than 30 minutes, you may have to let it set out at room temperature for 30 minutes or so to achieve uniform slices.

PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix butter, sugar, crushed candy and vanilla -- gradually blending in flour and corn starch.
• Form 1-inch balls and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Gently press down on each cookie to flatten.
• Bake in 300°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until bottoms start to brown.
• Cool and remove to a wire rack.
• Combine confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until frosting is smooth. Drizzle on cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Grease an 8-by-8-inch brownie pan with butter and line the bottom and two sides with parchment. Set a rack in the lower-middle position of the oven and heat to 350 degrees.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and set on medium-high speed, beat the butter, brown sugar and salt until creamy, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula. Add the yolk and vanilla, and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cocoa, and mix until everything comes together, about 1 minute, stopping once during mixing to scrape down the paddle and the bowl.
• Scrape the dough into the prepared pan. Using an offset spatula and your hands, press the dough into the pan as evenly as possible. Use a fork to prick the dough all over. Bake until the shortbread smells chocolatey and feels set and dry, 30 to 35 minutes. Wash and dry the mixing bowl and set aside.
• Remove shortbread from oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees. Using the parchment, lift the cookies out of the pan onto a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
• Make the meringue: Pour water into a medium saucepan to come 1 1/2 inches up the sides and bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat.
• Whisk the egg whites, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer just to combine. Set the bowl over the simmering water (bowl should not touch water) and heat the egg mixture, stirring and scraping constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the sugar dissolves, the mixture is hot and steamy, and the temperature registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 to 6 minutes. (Be patient and cook the egg whites slowly so they don't curdle.)
• Return the bowl to the stand mixer, and whip the mixture until stiff and glossy, 5 to 7 minutes. Whip in the peppermint extract and scrape the meringue onto the shortbread.
• Evenly spread the meringue with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. If using liquid food coloring, add a few random drops onto the meringue. If using gel food coloring, use the tip of a toothpick to randomly dab the tiniest bit of food coloring onto the meringue. Using the tip of an offset spatula or spoon, swirl the color into the meringue, creating peaks and streaks.
• Bake on the wire rack set on the sheet pan until the meringue feels dry and crisp, about 2 hours. Turn off the oven and prop open the door with a wooden spoon. Allow the cookies to cool in the oven, about another hour. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the cookies into random pieces. The cookies will keep for 1 week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

PEPPERMINT CANDY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F
• Cream butter, sugar, crushed candy, and vanilla thoroughly using an electric mixer. Gradually blend in flour and cornstarch.
• Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Gently press down on each cookie to flatten, either using fingers or a flat-bottomed drinking glass that has been dipped in sugar to prevent sticking.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bottoms begin to brown.
• Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For frosting: combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly until frosting is smooth. Drizzle cookies with frosting and sprinkle with crushed candy.

PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD THINS

Steps:

• In food processor, place peppermint candies. Cover; process until finely ground.
• In large bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in ground candies, flour and salt just until blended. Shape dough into 8x2-inch log; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Unwrap dough; cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• In small bowl, mix remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, the milk and peppermint extract. Divide glaze in half. Tint half of glaze with red food color. Drizzle red and white glazes over cookies. Store loosely covered.

PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD BITES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. On low speed, beat in flour and peppermint extract.
• On ungreased cookie sheet, pat dough into 6-inch square, about 3/4 inch thick. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325°F. On cookie sheet, cut dough into 8 rows by 8 rows, making 64 squares. With knife, separate rows by 1/4 inch.
• Bake 28 to 35 minutes or until set and edges are just starting to turn golden. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix crushed candy and granulated sugar. In small resealable food-storage plastic bag, place melted candy coating. Seal bag; cut tiny hole in corner of bag.
• Do not remove cookies from cookie sheet. Pipe candy coating over cookies. Before candy coating sets, sprinkle candy mixture over cookies. Place cookies to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.