Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Can't get enough chocolate and peppermint! These flavors say Christmas to me. This is a favorite cookie recipe that looks as good as it tastes!

Ingredients

3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon milk
Extra flour for rolling out the dough
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Instrucitons

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Put butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg and milk and continue to beat. Put mixer on low speed and slowly add flour mixture. Continue to mix on low speed until dough pulls away form the side of the bowl.

Divide the dough in half. To one half, add the melted chocolate and vanilla. Add egg yolk, peppermint extract and crushed candy to the other half.  Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Roll out each dough section to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Place the peppermint rolled out dough in top of the chocolate rolled out dough. Press together around the edges. Roll the dough into a log. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours, at least.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices one inch apart on cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12 - 13 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking. Remove from oven and allow cookies to sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Then move to wire rack to cool completely.  Store in airtight container for up to one week.

This recipe was adapted from The Food Network.
Image from Oh Cake

Chocolate Peppermint Blossom Cookies

This is a holiday take on the traditional peanut butter cookie with a Hershey's kiss. This cookie features a chocolate base and peppermint chocolate kiss.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 1/3 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
White sprinkling sugar
40- 45 Hershey's peppermint kisses

Instructions

With electric mixer, cream together butter, both sugars, eggs, milk and vanilla until smooth,
In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture slowly. Mix well to combine.
Chill dough for 1/2 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Dip the balls into white sprinkling sugar. Place two inches apart on lined cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and press a peppermint chocolate kiss in the middle of each cookie.  Cool on wire rack or waxed paper until the chocolate kiss has hardened.
Store in air tight container.

Holiday Peppermint Bark

Ingredients

1 12-ounce package white chocolate chips
24 hard peppermint candies

Instructions

Microwave chips in microwave-safe bowl (70% power) for one minute. Stir. Microwave for an additional 10 - 20 seconds, stirring until smooth.

Place peppermint candies in heavy duty plastic bag. Crush candies using a rolling pill or meat mallet. While holding a wire strainer over the melted morsels, pour the crushed candy into the strainer. Shake to release all the small candy pieces. Reserve the larger pieces that do not pass through the strainer. Stir the chocolate-candy mixture.

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Spread mixture to desired thickness on prepared cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with reserved candy pieces. Let stand for one hour or until hard. Break into bite size pieces and store in airtight container.