“Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles”

Hear-ye! Hear-ye! Hear-ye! Come One, Come All! Your second cookie recipe for Cookie Week 2017 has arrived by noble messenger. I invite you to ready your mouth for the minty pop of my Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles. Just what Santa and his elves ordered to be delivered straight from the North Pole to your kitchen table and all holiday celebrations. Sugar cookie dough flavored with peppermint extract, baked and dipped in white chocolate then sprinkled with crushed mint candy. A perfect holiday combination, don’t you think?

Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles

I’m such a fan of sugar cookies anytime of the year but when the holidays roll around I put my thinking cap on. I love adding new flavors to a basic cookie dough seeing what I can come up with. Sometimes I amaze myself. Although Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles is not a new recipe but one not often thought of. Not sure why that is? Probably because you don’t normally bake with mint in the spring and summer months unless making milkshakes to keep cool. Sounds reasonable to me however, Christmas time is here and mint says “Let’s Celebrate the holidays?”

Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles

This cookie is a fan favorite of kids especially when you invite the kiddos into the kitchen. Kids love any opportunity to help Mom in the kitchen. Kiddos love playing in the dough and let’s not forget the fun of sprinkling the crushed candy on the cookies. These cookies will not last long around little hands. So let them dig in. Have some fun with decorating. I can hear the giggles and laughter right now. What a great sound of a child’s laughter. I say bring on the happy.

Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles

Such a simple cookie recipe with an abundance of options. But starting with Peppermint Sugar Cookies dough, I have tinted the dough with a small amount of red gel food coloring for a pink tint. Dipping the pink cookies in white chocolate is a great color contrast. Very inviting I must say plus it looks pretty. I’m a sucker for pretty at Christmas. Did I mention how good Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles taste? Let me just say the peppermint is not overpowering yet not understated either. The perfect blend of crunchy edges and chewy centers makes for the most epic cookie you’ve ever eaten. You won’t be able to stop eating at one, two or even three. The flavors pop with each bite so have plenty of coffee and tall glasses of milk on hand to savor the minty goodness.

Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles

Start a new holiday tradition and bake up a couple batches of Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles. I promise this will be one recipe to be repeated over and over again. Don’t forget to change the color of your cookie dough for a bit of Christmas whimsy. Santa and his elves will definitely approve and as a result so will all your family and friends. Also Cookie Week 2017 recipe number three coming tomorrow.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles

Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Mint Sprinkles

2 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. cream of tartar

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

3/4 t. pure peppermint extract

1 t. pure vanilla extract

White Chocolate Candy Coating or Bark, melted for dipping

1/2 cup Candy Cane Crunch or crushed candy canes, for sprinkling

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar and  set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until combined, about one minute. Add in egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and peppermint extract.

On low-speed slowly spoon in flour mixture and mix until just combined. Cookie dough will be stiff, so you may need to stop mixer and finish mixing by hand to ensure all flour is incorporated from bottom of mixer bowl.

Roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets 2-inches apart. Chill dough if too soft to roll between baking.  Bake for 9-10 minutes as cookies should appear slightly under-baked. Remove cookie sheets to wire racks and let rest a couple of minutes then remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Once cookies are cool, melt candy coating or bark in microwave. Dip half of each cookie into coating, shaking off excess and place on wax paper. Sprinkle immediately with crushed candy cane and let cookies sit at room temperature until coating is set.

Store in airtight container at room temperature.