I’ve been going through butter like Joan Rivers goes through Botox. When my 8-stick supply of butter disappeared within one week, I realized that I could be on my way to becoming Jenny Craig’s new BFF. When I saw this recipe for Chocolate & Peppermint Bark Cookies in the latest issue of Bon Appétit Magazine, however, any willpower that I had considered employing over the holiday season immediately vanished. The cookie crust, which was very similar to the one in my Pine Nut, Caramel & Sea Salt Shortbread Bars, provided a cake-y, buttery base for the chocolate and crushed candy canes. Splattering the melted white chocolate over top successfully released my inner Jackson Pollock (the artistic side, not the domestically-challenged one). This would be a great recipe to prepare with your children, as long as you can handle chocolate-speckled walls and counters.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment, letting it hang over the sides of the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a mixer, beat 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue to beat for an additional 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1 egg yolk.
Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually beat in the flour mixture, until just combined. Do not overmix.
Scatter the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and gently press it, with slightly moistened fingers, to form a flat layer.
Prick all over with a fork.
Bake the cookie layer until golden brown and slightly puffed, and edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25-30 minutes. Place on a cookie rack and immediately sprinkle 6 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet (or a combination of the two) over the cookie layer.
Let the chocolate sit for about 3 minutes. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into an even layer over the surface of the cookies.
Immediately sprinkle 3 ounces crushed red and white peppermint candies, or candy canes, over the chocolate layer.
Place 2 ounces chopped high-quality white chocolate in a medium metal bowl set over a simmering pot of water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Using a fork, drizzle the white chocolate over the peppermint candies. Chill for approximately 30 minutes.
Gripping the overhanging parchment paper, lift the cookies out of the pan and place on a work surface. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the cookies into irregular pieces. This can be stored in an airtight container in a refrigerator for one week.
Other peppermint or candy cane recipes:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Candy Cane Mint Chocolate Fudge
101 Cookbooks’ Peppermint Bark Chocolate Chip Cookies
Karina’s Kitchen’s Mint Chocolate Cookies
A Year of Slow Cooking’s Crockpot Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Chocolate & Peppermint Bark Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red & white candies or candy canes (about 3 ounces)
2 oz. high-quality white chocolate
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment, letting it hang over the sides of the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue to beat for an additional 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract and egg yolk. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually beat in the flour mixture, until just combined. Do not overmix.
Scatter the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and gently press it, with slightly moistened fingers, to form a flat layer. Prick all over with a fork.
Bake the cookie layer until golden brown and slightly puffed, and edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25-30 minutes. Place on a cookie rack and immediately sprinkle chopped bittersweet or semisweet (or a combination of the two) over the cookie layer. Let the chocolate sit for about 3 minutes. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into an even layer over the surface of the cookies. Immediately sprinkle 3 ounces crushed red and white peppermint candies, or candy canes, over the chocolate layer.
Place chopped white chocolate in a medium metal bowl set over a simmering pot of water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Using a fork, drizzle the white chocolate over the peppermint candies. Chill for approximately 30 minutes.
Gripping the overhanging parchment paper, lift the cookies out of the pan and place on a work surface. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the cookies into irregular pieces. This can be stored in an airtight container in a refrigerator for one week.
RecipeGirl says
This was the best cookie recipe I baked this year. I made mine slightly different than the recipe- will post it on Monday. Looking at yours is making me want to get mine out of the freezer and munch!
Chow and Chatter says
awesome cookies for the season
Angie's Recipes says
CC, these cookies look so festive and beautiful!
Bellini Valli says
These are so perfect for the holidays!!!
April Cavin says
Love the cookie crust– I must have missed this one in Bon Appetit!! Glad you posted about it 🙂
Nicole M., MS, RD, LD says
I've read a lot of blog posts and a lot of Christmas cookie ideas, and this one, hands down, sounds the most divine! MAKING TODAY.
Thank you!
Peppercorn Press says
These look great! I usually only make the bark, but using the bark as a cookie topping is a wonderful way to decorate a christmas "cookie." I'll definitely have to try these. Yummmm.
Mr. P says
Amazing. Chocolate and Peppermint anything gets my vote, but they are stunning.
The recipient shoulc consider themself VERY lucky!
Tasty Eats At Home says
OMG, I would totally be okay with dealing with the issues caused by eating too much of this – so totally worth it!
Tasty Trix says
Yum these look great! I am with you on the butter thing … if only butter was made of vegetables I would be really skinny!
TheChocolatePriestess says
Those look so pretty and if it wasn't for the fact that today I made treat #9 for our holiday party tomorrow evening, the pictures would make me hungry.
Belinda @zomppa says
Lovely. I'm going to try this. I just made peppermint bark yesterday but didn't add the cookies…gonna try it.
citronetvanille says
Another one of your great sweet bars, what's better than chocolate and mint anyway?
kathyvegas says
Oh how pretty!
pegasuslegend says
these look fantastic, so festive and should be in high class department stores too sell great job! I can only imagine how wonderful these taste!
Drick says
another fine recipe – perfect for the holiday, gift giving and good eating….thanks
penny aka jeroxie says
So many lovely sweets! Yum Yum
Jessie says
beautiful cookies! I love the combination of chocolate and peppermint, it is one of the true holiday cookies out there
cheapappetite says
Looks really nice! I wish I could have one:)
My Little Space says
Congrats on your top 9, Canuck! These look simply delicious lol! Saving it for later use. Thanks.
Fresh Local and Best says
My goodness! I can't get enough of the peppermint bark that I get from the store. This recipe is stunning!
heather @ chiknpastry says
I made these over the weekend too, along with a ton of other cookies. very tasty!
My Man's Belly says
I need 1 more recipe to make this week, and I think you may have convinced me to make this one.
Janice says
Congrats on making the Food Buzz top 9. Great cookie.
Rochelle says
So pretty and festive! I'll give these a go as I'm sure they are also delicious!
Elise @ The Foodie Forkful says
Wow now I feel the need to rush off to the grocery store to buy more butter….
Dahlila Lyon says
Oh wow, my husband would love this (he's a cookie fiend). I usually make my chocolate bark the traditional way with bashed peppermint candies with white chocolate and then a layer of dark chocolate on the bottom. I'm the chocolate lover in the family, so that probably explains why I’m supporting The Year of Godiva Giveaway. My husband gets tired of hearing about the great promotions going on at http://www.Godiva.com/give, and I can't help but salivate a little every time I visit! These cookies will certainly pacify him for a while. 🙂
Jacktels Kochbuch says
Hi Dara,
This combination is fantastic. Compliment
Greeting Jacob
Megan (Best of Fates) says
Ooh – it sounds and looks delicious! But then, I'm a sucker for sea salt, especially when there's chocolate involved!
Cathy B. @ Brightbakes says
oh my…I can definitely relate on the butter issue…I really can't see how it's being used so quickly…puzzling, really! 😉 And I can tell this recipe certainly isn't going to help that dilemmma! Although it is a yummy dilemma…for sure…can't wait to try this…something fun and different for the holidays…
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
Melanie says
I love the shortbread crust on this bark – so unique and it looks mighty delicious! I'm glad I'm not the only one going through butter like crazy this time of year….long live butter!
Leslee says
Looking forward to adding this recipe to my Christmas cookie list and trying it out. Baking week is next week.
I am also a Canuck living in the US only a little further north of you, in Montana. Will be back to check your blog out.
Thanks for the yummy looking recipe.
Leslee in MT
Adventures In Babywearing says
I made these today and they turned out great! Thank you so much!
Steph
ksbooks says
I've never made anything like these cookies before, but the pictures and your description convinced me to try. They are cooling right now, I hope they taste as good as they look! I didn't have any semi-sweet chocolate other than a half-bag of chocolate chips so I hope that worked ok.
JenE says
Suddenly, I’m psyched about Christmas baking this year!! MMMM…
Jeniece says
I made these cookies to take to bible study tonight and they were a huge hit. I love how the shortbread base reminds you of a Christmas cookie (tied in with the peppermint) and the topping was so easy (and fun to make!) that it was a very simple recipe to follow.
My only tip is to crush the candy quite finely because some of the bigger pieces of candy got in the way of enjoyment of the cookie cause it takes longer to chew!