These soft and fudgy crinkle cookies are made extra-special with a hint of peppermint. Finished off with a drizzle of dark chocolate, and a sprinkling of crushed candy cane, these are perfect for cookie swaps and holiday gift giving!
This year, I've been putting crushed candy cane on ALL the things. There's just something that looks so nonchalant and Christmassy about all that red and white peppermint crumble.
A little bit of peppermint can totally transform a simple cookie into something really spectacular.
When I was in college, my mother used to send me the most wonderful holiday care packages. They were filled with surprises, from practical things like new socks, to special treats like lovingly homemade cookies.
To this day, I remember with fondness the chocolate crinkles she sent me in a package that arrived right before an especially difficult set of finals. The dark cocoa flavor and decadent squish of those perfect little chocolate cookies has stayed in my memory, probably with greater clarity than whatever it is I was studying that semester.
Much like my Double Chocolate Espresso Crinkles, these little peppermint cookies are a nod to those tasty crinkle cookies from my college days.
While a usual crinkle cookie is placed on the cookie sheet in a ball, and sent to the oven still perfectly round, these come out best if you flatten them just a little. This gives more space for the finishing touches of chocolate drizzle and crushed candy cane.
The other difference is that these are rolled in granulated sugar before baking, rather that than powdered sugar. This gives the cookie a more crackly surface, and also allows the melted chocolate to better adhere to the cookie.
For the real "crinkle cookie" effect, I still like to very lightly dust these with confectioners sugar after they come out of the oven. It gives that sugar-dusted look while not fully coating the cookie in a way that competes with the chocolate drizzle.
These are best served after they've fully cooled, so that the chocolate firms up and the crushed candy cane sets securely.
But...if you can, I definitely recommend stealing one while it's still warm, chocolate still messy and drippy and melty. It feels a little like breaking the rules, and it's so, so good. I won't tell Santa.
📖 Recipe
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Crinkles
Ingredients
Dough ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract optional
- 1 ½ cups Flour
- ¾ cup dark baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Finishing ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 4 ounces dark chocolate
- 4 ounces crushed candy cane pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add egg and extract, then beat again until well mixed.
- Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and pepper. Stir well until thoroughly incorporated. This is a very stiff dough, it's ok that it seems a little stiffer than most cookie dough.
- Roll dough into 1" balls. Coat well with granulated sugar, and place on baking sheets. Slightly flatten with your hand.
- Bake 9 minutes, or just until centers are set.
- Remove from oven, and immediately sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Remove to a cooling rack, and allow to fully cool.
- Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate.
- Using a spoon, drizzle one half of each cookie with the melted chocolate. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy cane.
- Allow chocolate to fully cool and harden. Then enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.
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