Best Ghirardelli Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Recipes

GHIRARDELLI HOLIDAY BARK 4 WAYS: PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Place 2 chopped chocolate bars in the top pan of a double boiler over hot but not boiling water. (You may also use a glass or metal mixing bowl on top of a saucepan half filled with water.) Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let stand to cool for 15 minutes.
• Stir remaining 1 bar of chopped chocolate into the melted chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth.
• Stir in 3/4 cup peppermint chunks. Pour mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with the remaining peppermint chunks.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the white chocolate on medium power (50 percent) in 30 second intervals, stirring between intervals until melted.
• Remove and stir. If chocolate is not melted, return it to the microwave and repeat the heating step, stirring every 30 seconds to avoid scorching.
• Spoon white chocolate mixture into a large self-sealing plastic bag. Snip off one corner; drizzle chocolate over bark.
• Chill for 30 minutes or until firm. Use parchment to lift candy; break into pieces. Store between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

PEPPERMINT FROSTED CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Switch to high speed and beat in the milk, then the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be sticky and tacky. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.
• Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
• Scoop and roll dough, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each, into balls. Arrange 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheets. The cookie dough is certainly sticky, so wipe your hands clean after every few balls of dough you shape.
• Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Tip: If they aren't really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
• Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, heavy cream/milk, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste. Beat in a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. I usually add a little less than 1/8 teaspoon. And, if desired, beat in another drop of peppermint extract.
• Top each cookie with frosting. Garnish frosting with crushed candy canes. Frosting doesn't dry completely, but will set after several hours. Carefully stacking frosted cookies is fine after that.
• Cover and store cookies at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a mixer beat together the butter with the sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in the vanilla. On a low speed beat in the flour mixture a little at a time. Gently mix in chocolate chips.
• On an ungreased cookie sheet, drop teaspoons of the batter about 2 inches apart. Bake until just cracked on top, about 8 to10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. Cool completely.
• For the glaze: In a small bowl mix together the sugar; mint extract and water until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium resealable plastic bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Let cookies stand until set, about 10 minutes.