By Tracey
Chocolate-Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
barely adapted from Cook’s Country
Ingredients:
Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Filling
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk (low-fat is fine)
Directions:
sprinkles or crushed candy canes, to decorate
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate chips, brown sugar, butter, and water to a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the chocolate and butter have melted, and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the egg, then use a rubber spatula to mix in the dry ingredients just until barely combined.
Using a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon), portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies. It’s important to try to make the cookies all roughly the same size so they’ll be easy to pair up for the sandwiches. Bake for about 8-9 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and the edges are just barely set – the centers will be soft and look underdone, that’s ok. You really do not want to over-bake these cookies. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before removing them to the rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
To make the filling: Use a hand mixer to beat the butter, peppermint extract, confectioners’ sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the milk together in a medium bowl. If the consistency is too thick, add some (or all) of the remaining tablespoon of milk to achieve a thinner consistency.
Match the cookies in pairs by size. Transfer the filling to a piping bag and pipe a small amount onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair. Sandwich the cookies together, and press the filling to the edges. If desired, roll the edges of the cookies in festive sprinkles or crushed candy cane pieces. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Makes about 18 sandwich cookies.
