A Bountiful Kitchen: Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Can you stand one more cookie recipe? I posted these in 2009. Depending on the size of the scoop you use, they can be made bite size to man size. If you're making them any other time of the year, ditch the crushed candy canes and just drizzle with the icing.
Come back Friday for a knock-your-socks-off-festive-five-minute-appetizer for your Christmas party. That's a mouthful.
Really, you won't want to miss this.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
adapted from Food Network
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Cookies:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (regular or mini’s) I like minis

Glaze:
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 drops mint extract, or more to taste
3 1/2 teaspoons cream, half and half or milk (cream is best)
crushed candy canes

For the cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. I use the convection bake setting. If you are not using convection, you may have to bake these for a total of about 10-12 minutes or until barely set*.

In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a mixer beat together the butter with the sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla. On a low speed beat in the flour mixture a little at a time. Gently mix in chocolate chips.

On an ungreased cookie sheet, drop teaspoons of the batter about 2 inches apart ( I use a cookie scoop). Flatten slightly. Bake until just cracked on top, about 8 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. Flatten the cookies slightly with a spatula after removing from oven. Cool completely.

For the glaze:
In a small bowl mix together the sugar; mint extract and cream until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium resealable plastic bag and snip off a tiny bit of the corner. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Let cookies stand until set, about 10-20 minutes.
If desired, before glaze sets, sprinkle with chopped mint candy.

Tips:
-I add the dry ingredients all at once, with the chocolate chips. I do this on all chocolate chip cookies, it helps keep the chocolate from sinking to the bottom of the cookie.
-*Do not over bake. The cookies should be set on top, and slightly cracked. Let the cookies cool completely before glazing.