Every year my family has a Christmas treat party where we make family recipes as well as try out new recipes we find each year. This year, one of the recipes we found were these chocolate candy cane cookies. (We found the original recipe on Liveforcake.com.) We did tweak our version, and most importantly, made it gluten-free.
This recipe is super easy and super delicious. Making it an instant hit at our annual treat party as they were the first treat gone of the evening. When I was taking the cover photo for this recipe I didn't do it before guests arrived. When I remembered shortly after the start of the party and looked over at the plate I saw that they were all gone. I kind-of freaked out until my mom told me she saved enough for our family to have later in the kitchen. So I took them out and took a picture of the five remaining cookies before promptly hiding them back in the kitchen to save for the next day.
This treat is an amazing blend of dark chocolate, white chocolate, and peppermint (from both the peppermint extract and the candy canes). This is definitely something my family will continue to make each year as a part of our treats party tradition. I hope that you can enjoy this as much as my family did, and can possibly become a favorite Christmas treat for you too.
Ingredients:
1/4 c. Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder, sifted
1/4 c. Black Cocoa Powder, sifted
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1 c. Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/2 c. Granulated Sugar
1 c. Light Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. Peppermint Extract
1 Bag Bright White Candy Melts (or white chocolate), melted
Crushed Candy Canes
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together GF flour, cocoa powders, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy (approx. 2-3 minutes). Reduce speed and add egg and peppermint extract. Beat until well combined. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Chill dough between 1 hour and overnight.
Preheat oven to 350º F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Using a medium cookie scoop (Tip: if you don't have a cookie scoop, it will also work to take a 'spoonful', and roll into balls), portion dough onto baking sheet (about 12 per sheet). Bake for approx. 10 minutes, or until the middle is set. Cookies will deflate and crinkle a bit upon cooling.
Cool on pans for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt the white chocolate by putting it in the microwave for 30 second intervals until runny (Tip: you may need to add a bit of vegetable shortening, or coconut oil, to thin the chocolate).
Dip cookies in melted white chocolate, use butter knife to clear excess from bottom of the cookie. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Allow to set.
Enjoy!
(All photos taken by Eowyn Collins on December 23, 2018.)