Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies

Soft peppermint cookies with chocolate chips and mini Peppermint Patty’s!

Since November, I’ve been a regular at the gym.  Several days a week you can find me at Pody Pump, Boot Camp or Tone and Chisel classes working my butt off.  I’m noticing a  difference in my body.  I can see muscles that weren’t there before!  I’m getting stronger too.  In fact, I’ve come to think of myself as somewhat of an athlete.

That was my first mistake.  Last weekend I ran from my house to my next door neighbor’s house and came home with a pulled groin muscle.  I mean all I did was run 10 feet.  Boy, was that deflating.   In my mind my body was taking the shape of a Muscle and Fitness model.  My newly acquired injury was my reminder that I am not an athlete.  I’m just a slightly less flabby 40-year-old who can’t move quite like she used to.

I should stick with titles that fit me better like “mom” and “baker”; not “athlete”.  Let’s look at that baker title because man, I made some killer cookies.  I mean these cookies are minty, buttery, chocolatey, melt-in-your-mouth cookies!    These peppermint cookies start with a basic cookie dough, you know flour, sugar and the like.  But then chocolate chips and mini Peppermint Patty’s are swirled in.

These peppermint cookies do not have as much chocolate as say this Irish Cream Mint Chocolate Tart; they are more like these mint biscotti where the chocolate is a secondary flavor.  The mint flavor shines through between the mint extract and Peppermint Patty’s.  Candy and cookies together all in one bite, could you really ask for anything more?

I can’t wait for this pulled muscle to heal.  I still can’t believe I got this just by running across the yard.  If I were running for these cookies then the whole thing would be worth it!

Tips for soft, chewy cookies:

Do not overmix your dough.

Refrigerate your dough for an hour before baking; starting will cold baking sheet can help as well (keeps the fat in the cookies “solid” and will prevent the cookie from spreading)

Use shiny aluminum baking sheets if possible.

Underbake your cookies just slightly; I always pull my cookies about 1 minute prior to the time state on the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies

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Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 10 min Total Time 0:20

Serves 48     adjust servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 sugar
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 8 oz mini Peppermint patties
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place softened butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until fluffy. Stir in both sugars until combined. Add vinegar. Stir in eggs one at a time. Stir in both extracts.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour. Carefully stir flour mixture into the dough. Add chocolate chips and Peppermint Patty's by hand.
4. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes; remove the cookies to a baking rack to cool completely.

by Tanya Schroeder