The combination of chocolate and peppermint not only screams holiday time but also delicious.
There should be more recipes like this being made throughout the year, but I doubt it would have the same effect. It's almost like you would get tired of chocolate and peppermint if you had it all the time. No, I lied. You wouldn't.
How could you ? Honestly, they are classic flavours and they need to admired. I did my part, I made cookies. And now you should, cause they are amazing.
The title calls them cookie, but they are more of a crisp brownie studded with chocolate chips and chunks of broken up candy cane. I ate 4. In a row. No milk. I'm hardcore like that.
They would a great idea for a cookie exchange since it's a one pan recipe and you can slice them as big (or small, but why?) as you want and they are dead simple to make.
You know who else would like them ? Santa. I'm just saying....
Chocolate peppermint bar cookies
[adapted from the Gourmet Cookie Book ]
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutch process
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped peppermint candies or 9 candy canes, smashed into chunky pieces
Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang of 2 inches on each end of the pan. Coat foil with non-stick spray, except on overhang.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. Beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg until well combined. Stir in chocolate and candy.
Spread dough in pan, as best you can, dough is crazy sticky. I used a rubber spatula then gave up and used my moistened fingers. Hands always work better. Spread until evenly distributed in pan.
Bake for 20 minutes or until cookie is pulling away from the sides of the pan and puffed.
Cool completely on a wire rack before lifting cookie out, by lifting the foil, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into bars and lift off foil with a spatula.
