Description
Chocolate meets cool peppermint in these irresistible brownie cookies that blend rich cocoa with festive mint crunch. Holiday baking gets a delightful twist with these indulgent treats you can’t resist sharing at winter gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) white sugar
Flour and Dry Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (25 grams) cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
Flavoring and Additional Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3 candy canes, crushed (about 1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Prepare the oven environment by heating to 350°F and positioning parchment paper on baking sheets for optimal cookie performance.
- Create a smooth chocolate base by gently melting chocolate and butter together in a saucepan, ensuring a silky consistency and allowing slight cooling.
- Whip sugars, eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract into a light, airy mixture that provides rich flavor and texture.
- Integrate the melted chocolate mixture with the egg blend, stirring thoroughly to create a uniform, glossy foundation.
- Sift dry ingredients – flour, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder – to eliminate potential lumps and ensure even distribution throughout the dough.
- Gently incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, folding carefully to maintain the delicate air pockets created earlier.
- Sprinkle crushed candy canes into the dough, distributing the festive peppermint pieces evenly for consistent flavor in each cookie.
- Portion the dough onto prepared baking sheets using tablespoon-sized drops, maintaining consistent cookie size.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, watching for slightly crisp edges and a soft center indicating perfect doneness.
- Allow cookies to rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes to stabilize their structure before transferring to a wire rack for complete cooling.
Notes
- Toast candy canes in a dry skillet before crushing to enhance their flavor and create a more complex peppermint profile.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking to prevent excessive spreading and create a more structured cookie.
- Use high-quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa for deeper, richer chocolate notes that complement the peppermint.
- Swap regular flour with gluten-free flour blend for a celiac-friendly version without compromising the cookie’s texture and taste.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg