Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
As I’ve mentioned multiple times, chocolate and peppermint is one of my favorite flavor combinations. In fact, I love it year round. It seems that it’s only acceptable to show this love of chocolate and peppermint during the winter months when it’s chilly outside. So I take full advantage and try to make as many chocolate/peppermint things as I can in the months of December and January.
I’ve seen a variety of similar cookies popping up in blogs and cookie swaps all around me. I decided to take a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I know produces a thick and chewy cookie since the addition of the candy cane crunch (or crushed up candy canes) would likely thin out a cookie as they baked.
I remember this chocolate chip cookie recipe specifically because it was the first time my eyes were awaken to the amazing flavor of bittersweet chocolate. Now I use it almost exclusively in my baking when chocolate chips are called for. I just love the flavor.
I used the leftover peppermint crunch that I got from KAF in the recipe and they came out amazingly. The peppermint and chocolate both shine and don’t overpower one another at all. This might just be my new favorite holiday cookie.
One Year Ago: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Two Years Ago: Butter Ball Cookies
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 4.5 dozen
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, at room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint crunch
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or more semi-sweet if you don't have bittersweet)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them, and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until just combined. Fold in the peppermint pieces and chocolate chips.
Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop cookie dough onto prepared pans. Bake 12-15 for smaller cookies, 14-17 for larger ones or until the tops are a light golden brown (mine came out after 12 minutes).
Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Recipe adapted from In The Sweet Kitchen
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Happy birthday! Today is my husband’s birthday, and he also requested a chocolate cake. I baked him Ina Garten’s Beatty’s chocolate cake. Your chocolate cake may be the one I bake for my birthday later this year. 🙂
beantownbaker — June 17th, 2013 @ 8:48 am
That’s a really good chocolate cake recipe too! Tell your husband happy birthday!
Happy birthday! A no frills chocolate fudge cake sounds perfect 🙂
This looks amazing!! And happy birthday!!!
beantownbaker — June 17th, 2013 @ 9:34 am
Thanks 🙂
Happy Birthday! Noting like a perfectly simple chocolate cake to ring in a new year! This one looks scrumptious!
That is seriously one gorgeous cake!!! I think I’m in love!
happy birthday and thanks so much for the chocolate cake- can’t have too many chocolate cake recipes
beantownbaker — June 18th, 2013 @ 4:02 pm
I couldn’t agree more!
We’re birthday buddies! Hope you had a great day!
Happy Birthday! Your cake looks amazing!!
and if i want to make this 9 x 13?any caveats? i never know if i can just change pan size and oven time/temp?
beantownbaker — June 18th, 2013 @ 4:05 pm
Two 9″ round pans is the same amount of cake batter as a 9×13 pan. I’d probably use the same temp and start checking around the same time. But I would expect it to take longer to bake in the end.
tnx- 9 x 13 is easier to tote
Oh goodness, this looks indulgent! I need to make this for my husband as soon as I can!
Happy birthday! This cake is to die for- looks so chocolatey and fudgey. Hope you had a great day!
beantownbaker — June 19th, 2013 @ 7:13 am
Thanks! I had a great birthday this year.
Tomorrow is my birthday and I am making your birthday cake for my big day!
Thanks!
beantownbaker — June 23rd, 2013 @ 7:56 pm
Happy birthday tomorrow!! Hope you enjoy the cake as much as I did.
Wow – this cake looks so good! I am always looking for chocolatecake recipes to try – so glad to have stumbled on your blog!
beantownbaker — July 5th, 2013 @ 9:55 am
Glad you found me!
I just made this for my mom and brothers Birthday tomorrow 🙂 I will come back and let you know how mine turned out 🙂 thanks for the recipe and happy late Birthday!
beantownbaker — August 4th, 2013 @ 6:42 pm
Definitely let me know how it goes!
The cake turned out amazing and was a huge hit! Most of the kids weren’t a huge fan but i don’t think they have learned to appreciate dark chocolate 🙂
beantownbaker — August 5th, 2013 @ 7:14 am
Glad it was a success (for the adults!)