White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

I'm always looking to create a unique dessert for Valentine's Day.  Sometimes something romantic, sometimes something more whimsical as in these loaded with white chocolate cookies that have a hint of peppermint from crushed candies and lovely muted pink hue from beet powder (you can leave that out or use food coloring if you wanted to).  I drizzle them with additional melted white chocolate and a sprinkling of the crushed peppermint candies to make a moist, dense, sweet treat for my loved ones.

I love a good drop cookie.  They're so easy, and this one I make in my Kitchenaid stand mixer., gradually adding the ingredients as the beater turns, doing all the hard work for me.

Less than 5 minutes to come together, then I drop by large scoops onto my parchment lined baking sheet and let them bake to perfection in the oven.

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I LOVE THE SUBDUED PINK COLOR HERE

Out of the oven they cool then have their festive adornment of additional melted white chocolate and pretty peppermint crushed candies.  They're cute, they're pinkish, they're delicious.  What more could one ask for in a Valentine treat?

READY FOR THE OVEN

These make large, generous cookies, but you can certainly make them smaller if you want.  Just adjust your baking time if doing so.  I like to bake mine just until they're slightly underdone.  There's nothing like a middle that is just barely cooked through.   So soft on the interior and the white chocolate just lends an additional yumminess.

LET COOL BEFORE ICING

YUMMY ❤️

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Makes about 18 larger cookies


1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter), softened
1 cup cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (I love vanilla paste)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
4 ounces white melting chocolate wafers, such as Ghirardelli
2 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies, divided
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon beet powder (optional for natural pink color)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees


I love to use the stand mixer for this, but you can totally do this by hand with a bit more effort. In the bowl of your stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar until the sugar crystals are well incorporated and the butter is fluffy.

Add in the eggs one at a time with the mixer going on medium speed until each egg is well incorporated.

Add the vanilla, baking soda and salt and mix well.

At this point add in the beet powder if using.  You can also use a couple drops red food coloring, but I love the natural beet powder.

Turn the mixer to the lowest speed.  Gradually add in the flour, mixing together slowly until the flour is just incorporated.

Add in the 1 cup of white chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of the crushed peppermint candies. Mix briefly until everything is incorporated.

On parchment lined baking sheets, use a cookie or ice cream scoop to place about eight mounds of dough on each cookie sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until just beginning to turn golden.

Cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

In a microwave safe bowl or measuring carafe, melt the 4 ounces of white melting chocolate wafers in 30 second increments until melted.  Add 1 teaspoon of the beet powder if using and mix throughly to give it a lovely pink hue.  You can also use drop or so of red food coloring if you want.

Once the cookies are cooled you can drizzle them with the melted white chocolate, then sprinkle with the crushed peppermint candies while the icing is soft enough to ensure the candies stick.

I pour the melted chocolate into a small bag, then snip off the corner to be able to artfully squiggle melted chocolate over the tops of the cookies.  You can also dunk half of each cookie in the melted chocolate for a different look if you want.