With only eight days until Christmas, my two boys have taken to checking the NORAD Santa Tracker in hopes that Santa may have left his cozy workshop at the North Pole a little earlier than usual. They are intrigued by the Santa Tracker..."How do they know where Santa is?" "Does Santa let them put a GPS tracker on his sleigh?" "I can't believe he gets to all of the places so quickly...those reindeer must be supersonic!" Leading up to Christmas Eve, the site gives updates on Santa's activities. Yesterday, he apparently took a break from toy-making and cookie-sampling duties to take Mrs. Claus for a little spin around the kitchen. Delivers toys and charms children the world over, plus he's a great dancer? The guy can do it all.
One of our favorite traditions each year is the reading of The Grinch and The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. With their heads full of sugarplums, the kids then trundle over to the hearth, hang their stockings on the mantle, and lay out the treats for Santa and the reindeer. The reindeer are treated to carrots, with the biggest one being saved for Rudolph. He needs extra help to keep that nose glowing brightly. Santa get a selection of Christmas cookies and a big glass of milk. As is our tradition, the boys leave Santa some of Grandma's spritz cookies, but maybe this year they will include one of these chocolate and peppermint cookies as well. With a crisp texture, like Louisiana Butterscotch & Pecan Ball Cookies, these take on a wedding cookie are filled with the flavors of Christmas. Perhaps Santa will linger at our house a little longer to enjoy his treats.
How to make wedding cookies:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine room temperature butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Turn the mixer to medium speed until the mixture is just blended.
Place high-quality bittersweet (60% cocoa) chocolate chips in a metal bowl set over a bowl of simmering water, stirring until the chips are melted. Let the melted chips cool for 4 to 5 minutes and then add to the butter mixture.
Beat on medium speed until blended. Stir in candy cane pieces.
Using a scant 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie, shape the dough into balls and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 1 inch apart.
Bake the cookies until they are pale golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, switching the position of the pans halfway through baking. Let the cookies stand on baking sheets for about 30 minutes. Place 1 ½ cups powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Working with a few cookies at a time, roll the cookies in the powdered sugar until coated. Lightly brush off an clumps of powdered sugar that may form.
Set cookies on racks to cool completely.
Other cookies with peppermint and chocolate:
Cookin' Canuck's Chocolate & Peppermint Bark Cookies
Cookin' Canuck's Triple Chocolate Mint Cookies
Back to the Cutting Board's Mint-Chocolate Bottom Shortbread Cookies
Two Peas and Their Pod's Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies
My Baking Addiction's Mint Chocolate Cookies
Chocolate & Peppermint Candy Cane Wedding Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup ½ pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar divided
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup high-quality bittersweet 60% cocoa chocolate chips
- ½ cup crushed candy cane pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine room temperature butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Turn the mixer to medium speed until the mixture is just blended.
- Place high-quality bittersweet chocolate chips in a metal bowl set over a bowl of simmering water, stirring until the chips are melted. Let the melted chips cool for 4 to 5 minutes and then add to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until blended. Stir in candy cane pieces.
- Using a scant 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie, shape the dough into balls and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 1 inch apart.
- Bake the cookies until they are pale golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, switching the position of the pans halfway through baking. Let the cookies stand on baking sheets for about 30 minutes. Place 1½ cups powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Working with a few cookies at a time, roll the cookies in the powdered sugar until coated. Lightly brush off an clumps of powdered sugar that may form.
- Set cookies on racks to cool completely.
Nutrition
Drick
that santa is so adorable, and so are your sons, so innocent this time of year, right? these are the perfect cookies for him, I know I would hang around a while longer, might even have to find the cookie jar for more... like the sound of the crispness and the taste of chocolate with peppermint, wonderful Dara.... warm wishes for the week ahead....
Pegasuslegend
oh so festive..these look great
Roxan
That is so cute, I love hearing about kids' stories regarding santa. I never believed in santa growing up - my parents didn't do the santa thing with me (not to keep it from us, but because they weren't aware of it, i think it's a cultural thing).
As usual, these cookies look amazing!
Monet
These look just wonderful! I love chocolate and peppermint (my sister loves it more!) And I so enjoyed seeing pictures of your sweet boys and hearing about some of your Christmas traditions. Thank you for sharing this recipe with me. I hope you have a weekend full of relaxation and fun!
Megan
I'm way too old for it, but I love that Santa tracker. These look like a festive minty version of crinkle cookies. They sounds delicious!
Diana Bauman
Love this recipe Dara! I'm making these 😀
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.
OMG love these! Happy holidays to you Dara
A Canadian Foodie
I am addicted to candy canes this year which is extremely odd. Love the pic of the kiddies. Mine (at 30) still believe in Santa because "If you believe... he will come..." and HE IS REAL!
🙂
valerie
Nicole @ Arctic Garden Studio
We love the NORAD Santa tracker. We were worried to find out that our house is one of Santa's last stops (we live two miles from North Pole, AK). We try not to ask for heavy items anymore as we realized those poor reindeer have to pull them all the way around the world! 🙂
Happy Holidays!
Amanda
Those look beautiful!! Great recipe!
Tammy
Those cookies look AMAZING!!
Picture of your boys is so cute.
Tracy
These look so incredibly good! Perfect for Christmas!
doughmesstic
Oh, I do hope Santa is real! I have a computer on my list, and that would be wonderful to have!
Your cookies look fantastic with the candy cane addition - but my fave pic is of those cute boys!
Suzanne
YUM! What a great idea! I love peppermint, chocolate AND wedding cookies. Brilliant! And that pic of Santa and the boys. Priceless!!
Fuji Mama
I'm kinda wishing I was Santa right now because the thought of a plate of spritz and these cookies and a glass of milk is sounding awfully appealing... Chocolate and peppermint is always a winning combination and these look like they are no exception!
Heather (Heather's Dish)
these sound amazing! a fun twist on a classic cookie 🙂
marla {Family Fresh Cooking}
Thank you for confirming that Santa is REAL & that I can eat these delicious cookies. Your boys are darling!! XO
briarrose
Wonderful holiday cookie. I must try candy canes as a cookie addition...it just looks so tasty.
warmvanillasugar
Delicious cookie recipe! Yum!
Maria
Love the Santa photo:) These cookies are perfect for the holiday season.