Description
Delicious homemade mint chocolate chip cookies with a perfect balance of rich dark chocolate and refreshing peppermint flavor. These cookies are soft and chewy with a crisp edge, topped with crushed candy canes for a festive touch. They are perfect for holiday baking or anytime you crave a minty treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookie Dough
- 125g salted butter
- 125g light brown soft sugar
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 225g plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 drops peppermint extract
- 100g dark chocolate chips
For Decoration
- 100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 3 peppermint candy canes, finely chopped or crushed
Instructions
- Prepare the Butter and Sugars: Melt the butter in a pan and then let it cool for a few minutes. Pour the melted butter into a large bowl and whisk in the light brown soft sugar, caster sugar, and the egg until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Make the Dough: Using a wooden spoon, mix the plain flour and baking powder into the butter-sugar mixture until the ingredients come together to form a dough. Beat in 2 drops of peppermint extract, then fold in the dark chocolate chips gently. Wrap the dough well in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat the Oven and Shape Cookies: Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/Gas mark 4. Divide the chilled cookie dough into 16 equal pieces of about 45g each. Roll each piece into a ball using your hands. Place the dough balls on two baking trays lined with baking parchment, spacing them well apart. Press each dough ball down slightly to flatten.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, then remove the trays from the oven and tap sharply on a work surface to help flatten the cookies further. Return the trays to the oven and repeat tapping after 2 minutes, then once more 2 minutes later, ensuring the cookies bake for a total of 14 minutes. After baking, leave the cookies to cool completely on the trays.
- Melt the Chocolate: Melt the roughly chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water or by microwaving in 15-second bursts, stirring between each burst until smooth and fully melted.
- Dip and Decorate Cookies: Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Dip one half of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate, then place them on the lined tray. Immediately sprinkle the half-dipped cookies with finely chopped or crushed peppermint candy canes. Transfer the tray to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to set firmly.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is melted but not hot before mixing with sugars to avoid cooking the egg.
- Chilling the dough is important for better shaping and texture.
- Tapping the trays after baking helps create perfectly flat cookies with a chewy texture.
- You can substitute peppermint extract with a few drops of peppermint oil if preferred.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: mint chocolate chip cookies, peppermint cookies, dark chocolate cookies, holiday cookies, festive cookies, homemade cookies
