Email to Cat      

Christmas: Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Source of Recipe


From "The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays"



List of Ingredients



• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  
• 1 cup powdered sugar
  
• 1 egg
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• Large handfuls of both red and green peppermints
  
• 4 ounces (4 squares) almond bark or white baking chocolate
  






Instructions



1. Add the butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat them together until the mixture is nice and smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the cocoa powder, flour, and salt, and mix just until the dough comes together. Press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the dough and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
   
   
2. While the dough is chilling, unwrap the candies and place them in separate plastic bags. Crush the mints with a rolling pin. Throw the crushed mints into separate bowls and set them aside.
   
   
3. When the dough is finished chilling, preheat the oven to 375°F.
   Roll the dough into balls. Place the balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or baking mats, and flatten them slightly with the bottom of a coffee mug or glass. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until just set. Remove them from the oven and let cool completely.
   
   
4. While the cookies cool, melt the almond bark in a double boiler or a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until smooth.
   
   
5. One at a time, dip the cookies halfway into the melted almond bark. Sprinkle the top side generously with crushed mints, holding the cookies over the bowls to catch any excess. You can mix red and green on the same cookie, or you can do just some cookies with just red and some with just green. Lay the cookies, sprinkled side up, on parchment paper or a baking mat and allow them to set completely. Serve them with a few whole mints on the side. You'll absolutely love these.
   
   Makes 32 cookies.