A few of you know that this blog isn't really new. It started back in 2011 during the gap period after law school when I was desperately looking for a job. I didn't plan much in the beginning. My only goal was to do something else during the day besides the soul-crushing process that is job-hunting in a terrible legal market. I was a girl with a small apartment kitchen, an iPhone 4 and a couple of kitchen towels from Target for "props".
In the first month of blogging I decided on whim that I would make 12 cookies for the 12 days of Christmas. How hard could that be? {Fun Fact: this was the dumbest idea ever} I would literally get up each morning decide to make a cookie, make the cookie and snap a quick picture with my phone, lighting be damned. My husband's coworkers at the time were the real MVPs. Every day, he would take my latest creation into the office. And every day he would report on the overall response to the cookie.
There were a couple of cookies that flat out bombed. (I'm looking at you raspberry thumbprints) While others caused people to grab extras to take home. The Triple Chocolate Peppermint Cookie scored very well. A brownie-like chocolate cookie with cocoa powder, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips and Mint M&Ms is pretty hard to beat.
My husband's boss, who I absolutely adored, famously walked past the desk several times and announced "I'm not here to talk to you, I just came for another cookie." Hearing this tickled me so much and was a balm to my increasingly battered ego. I was a very dramatic 28 year old. Obviously.
So fast forward to the "relaunch" of this little blog and I knew that I had to include them. If for no other reason than to take a more flattering photo. I look back at those photos and ask myself "what were you doing?!?!" The process of baking and sharing back then was so important, almost like a lifeline. I eventually found a job and the world did not end. Sometimes, when you are in the middle of the tunnel it's hard to see the light. It's there. I promise.
So let's talk about the recipe. Chilling the cookie dough isn't required, but I find that letting the cookies rest for 30 minutes in the oven bring outs a better color cookie. Chocolate Cookies are so hard to judge for doneness. If you chill the dough add an additional minute or two to the bake time. The good news is that a slightly under baked cookie is just as good. For the m&ms I mixed most of them in the batter. When the cookies came out of the oven I pressed two M&Ms into each cookie before they set.
The peppermint triple chocolate cookies are featured in this year's Christmas Cookie Box because it's not Christmas with a little peppermint and chocolate.
Peppermint Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
A brownie-like cookie with the classic flavor combination of peppermint and chocolate.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup of butter
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. Peppermint Extract
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 12 oz Mint Chocolate M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl sift together the all purpose flour and cocoa powder then whisk in the salt and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, abut 3 minutes.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, letting each egg completely mix in before adding the next. Then add the peppermint extract.
- Turn the mixer speed to low and then add the flour/cocoa mixture in 2-3 additions until a dough is formed. Stir in the chocolate chips. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the m&ms with a spatula.
- Scoop the cookies with a medium cookie scoop onto the baking sheet leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool.
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