These chocolate and peppermint bark cookies are one of my family's favorite holiday treats! Melted chocolate and crushed candy canes are layered on top of buttery shortbread. These make wonderful neighbor gifts at the holidays.
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 ¼ 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:
Meringue Cookies (Peppermint & Chocolate Chip)
Chocolate & Peppermint Bark Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
½ 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.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
My Little Space
Congrats on your top 9, Canuck! These look simply delicious lol! Saving it for later use. Thanks.
cheapappetite
Looks really nice! I wish I could have one:)
Jessie
beautiful cookies! I love the combination of chocolate and peppermint, it is one of the true holiday cookies out there
penny aka jeroxie
So many lovely sweets! Yum Yum
Drick
another fine recipe - perfect for the holiday, gift giving and good eating....thanks
pegasuslegend
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!
kathyvegas
Oh how pretty!
citronetvanille
Another one of your great sweet bars, what's better than chocolate and mint anyway?
Belinda @zomppa
Lovely. I'm going to try this. I just made peppermint bark yesterday but didn't add the cookies...gonna try it.
TheChocolatePriestess
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.
Tasty Trix
Yum these look great! I am with you on the butter thing ... if only butter was made of vegetables I would be really skinny!
Tasty Eats At Home
OMG, I would totally be okay with dealing with the issues caused by eating too much of this - so totally worth it!
Mr. P
Amazing. Chocolate and Peppermint anything gets my vote, but they are stunning.
The recipient shoulc consider themself VERY lucky!
Peppercorn Press
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.
Nicole M., MS, RD, LD
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!
April Cavin
Love the cookie crust-- I must have missed this one in Bon Appetit!! Glad you posted about it 🙂
Bellini Valli
These are so perfect for the holidays!!!
Angie's Recipes
CC, these cookies look so festive and beautiful!
Chow and Chatter
awesome cookies for the season
RecipeGirl
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!