The snow is finally melting, spring is coming...WAIT, it's only December??
This was the view out our back door, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
The snow started a little early this year, and came in a big sha-bang. Cold weather and snow or rain always compels me to bake. Let's be honest, I'm always compelled to bake. Even when it's 106 degrees. Isn't this why we have AC???
Christmas time sends me in to a bit of a baking frenzy. I used to bake INSANE amounts of treats between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I've toned that down over the years. Now, I mostly bake for our family. Things we love. Trying a few new recipes mixed with tried and true favorites makes us all happy. For the next few days, I'll post a mixture of both.
This recipe is a new one- to me. I loved the way the pink frosting rolled in candy canes looked against the dark chocolate cookies. Wouldn't these look great in a cello bag with a pretty ribbon? Yum.
This photo
makes me
smile.
The cookie
on the right
looks like
it has been banished
from the
leaning tower
of cookies.
Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Bon Appétit December 2005
print recipe
Yield: Makes about 18-30 sandwich cookies,
depending on size of cookie scoop
Cookies
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk (if needed)*
Filling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract ( I used about 1/4 tsp)
2 drops (or more) red food coloring
1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)
For cookies:
Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Add milk if needed to make dough soft.
Refrigerate dough 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not over bake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.
For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of 1 cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.
Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling). Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.
Tips:
Yield: Makes about 18-30 sandwich cookies,
depending on size of cookie scoop
Cookies
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk (if needed)*
Filling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract ( I used about 1/4 tsp)
2 drops (or more) red food coloring
1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)
For cookies:
Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Add milk if needed to make dough soft.
Refrigerate dough 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not over bake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.
For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of 1 cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.
Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling). Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.
Tips:
-*Our climate is really dry, so I needed to add the 2 tablespoons of milk to make the dough pliable. After reading reviews on the Epicurious site, other readers had the same problem.
I'm sure water would also work as an acceptable alternative.
-The cookies are very sweet and rich, so I used a 1" cookie scoop and made small cookies.
wow..... I love cookies and Italy.....and not snow, in that order.
ReplyDeleteCute! though I thought you were anti-food coloring?
ReplyDeletePerfect for my cookie exchange tomorrow! These look DEE-LISH!
ReplyDeleteThey look beautiful, and I'd love to have one!
ReplyDeletenot anti food coloring, just anti-coloring mint brownies GREEN. sick.
ReplyDeletebahaha.
ReplyDeletethe leaning tower of cookies.
love it.
These are beautiful. I love peppermint at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteYes...pretty in a bag with ribbon. I love the way the colors contrast and it goes without saying that these would be delish!
ReplyDelete