20 Days Of Christmas Cookies- Day 16

A Fudgy Cream-Filled Peppermint Cookie Recipe

I must confess that I have a deep dark juicy secret that I have yet to tell anyone.  I have kept it tucked away for a long time and am having a hard time keeping it secret any longer. I just get so excited this time of year chocolate is everywhere, candy canes are plentiful, and it gets so hard to control myself! You see, I am in love with chocolate and peppermint. Oh, I feel so much better to make this confession. It’s the deep flavor of chocolate that I adore and, when you get chocolate and peppermint together, they play nicely together. Peppermint is so cool, light, and refreshing. Chocolate, on the other hand,  is deep, dark, and dense at its best. It’s a match made in heaven, don’t you think? 

This recipe for chocolate mint cookies is a match made in heaven. The depth of the chocolate compliments the not too sweet cream filling. Taking it to the next level is the roll in the crushed peppermint sticks. The cookies come together quickly and can be enjoyed on their own.  The creamy filling is just as versatile, so make extra for cupcakes. During the holidays, there is every flavored imaginable for candy canes. So grab the kids, get cookin’ and get creative. These cookies will be the next family favorite. 

Candy cane peppermint cookies are a welcome addition to every holiday cookie tray and make a fabulous gift for friends, family, and co-workers.

Ingredients

1 ¼ stick of butter

1 ½ cups of sugar

1 large egg (room temperature)

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup good quality cacao powder 

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

¼  tsp salt

 Buttercream Filling

1 ½ cups shortening

7 ½ cups powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

¼ cup of water

 Decorations

6 oz. peppermint sticks crushed

 Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Using a  heavy-duty stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until nice and fluffy.

3. Add the egg and mix well.

4. Sift the flour, cacao powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.

5. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and continue mixing until well blended. 

6. Using a greased small-sized cookie scoop, scoop the cookies onto 2 11x15 inch cookie/jelly roll pans.

7. Roll each cookie to smooth them out, then roll in granulated sugar

8. Place them back on the cookie sheets and flatten each with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

9. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or just until set.

10. Slightly loosen the cookies using a small thin spatula, and let them cool completely.

11. Using a 10-inch cake decorating bag fitted with a  #12 round decorating tip, pipe icing onto the bottom of 1 cookie, top with another cookie, and roll in the crushed peppermint. Repeat with all the cookies.