Shelly's Recipe

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Chip Cookies

Category: Cookies

•1 c. plus 2 TBS AP flour
•1/4 c. cocoa powder
•1/2 tsp baking soda
•1/8 tsp salt
•1 stick (1/2 c.) salted butter, at room temperature
•1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
•6 TBS sugar
•1 large egg
•1/2 tsp vanilla extract
•1/4 tsp peppermint extract
•1 1/4 c. (about 8 oz.) peppermint bark bits, recipe below


1.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, then whisk together until evenly combined. Set aside.


2.In a medium bowl, beat the butter with the brown sugar and regular sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
3.Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, stirring to fully moisten the flour between additions. Stir batter until fully moistened, but don’t over mix. Stir in 1 c. of the peppermint bark bits until evenly combined.


4.Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and place rounded spoonfuls of batter on the cookie sheet placed at least 2 inches apart. Place one or two pieces of the remaining 1/4 c. of peppermint bark bits on top of each cookie. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the outside edges have begun to crack slightly and the center is set. Cookies will still be very fudgy in the middle when you take them out of the oven, but will firm up as they cool. Let cool for 3-5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.


Peppermint Bark

Recipe adapted slightly from Sara Moulton. Makes 2 lbs.
•12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
•12 oz. white chocolate chips
•1/2 tsp peppermint extract
•12 candy canes, crushed (about 1 c. of crushed pieces)
1.Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil, making it as smooth as possible on the bottom. Place the semisweet chocolate chips in a metal bowl, and set the bowl over the simmering water. Stir the chocolate chips until they are all just barely melted and the chocolate is thick and shiny, then use a spatula to scrape onto the lined baking sheet. Use the spatula to smooth the chocolate into an even layer of about 1/4 inch thickness – the chocolate will probably not fill up an entire baking sheet, which is fine. Place the baking sheet in the fridge until the chocolate has just started to set and is no longer shiny, about 10 minutes. You don’t want to let the chocolate get too cold, or it will not adhere to the white chocolate. On the other hand, if it’s still too warm when you add the white chocolate, you will not get clean layers but the two will marble.
2.Clean out and dry your metal bowl, then add the white chocolate chips to it. Melt over the double boiler in the same manner as the semisweet chips. Once melted, stir in the peppermint extract. Remove from the heat. If your semisweet chocolate layer is not cool enough yet, alternate keeping the white chocolate over the double boiler and off to the side every 60-90 seconds to keep it about the right temperature. Once the semisweet chocolate is ready, pour the white chocolate on top and smooth out into an even layer. Sprinkle the candy canes on top of the white chocolate, pressing them in lightly with your fingers. Place the baking sheet in the fridge until the chocolate is fully set, at least 30 minutes. Stick a sharp knife into the chocolate in several areas to break up into smaller chunks. If it gets difficult to break up, put it back in the fridge until it becomes brittle again. Store in the fridge.