Notes of dark chocolate and espresso add richness to these Peppermint Mocha Cookies. A plunge into melted smooth white chocolate and a festive sprinkle of crushed peppermint brings a twinkle of holiday tingle.
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Developing the cookie concept
The development of this recipe for Peppermint Mocha Cookies directly reflects the chaotic hustle of the holiday bustle. I started with a simple Black and White Cookie concept. With loose plans to somehow incorporate peppermint. Then, I began dreaming of a white chocolate cookie.
I started to get sleepy, so I mixed in a hint of espresso powder. That lead me down candy cane lane, and before I knew it I was rolling out dough and cutting it into cute and festive little holiday shapes. Either hell froze over or my holiday spirit was fueled by spirits. And I'm not talking about the ghost of Christmas past.
Now that we've established that all I want for Christmas is a bottomless mug of Hot Toddys, I can get in the spirit and share my new recipe for Peppermint Mocha Cookies. I based the cookie recipe on an old standby favorite, my Big Pink Cookies recipe. However, these festive holiday cookies have a personality all their own.
3 simple components
- Chocolate Mocha Cookie base. The cocoa infused cookie dough has warm and rich notes of cocoa, laced with a hint of espresso powder. The espresso powder mellows out the rich and sweet flavors. Making for one smooth and balanced chocolate cookie.
- White Chocolate dip. Smooth and easy is what we are going for here. These cookies are decorated by simply melting white chocolate and dipping the cookies in. Giving the chocolate holiday cookies an instantly sleek and sophisticated look.
- Peppermint sprinkles. Crushed up candy canes add a tingle of holiday twinkle to these Peppermint Mocha Cookies.
Rolling the dough out smooth
I adapted that original basic sugar cookie dough into a rich, dark chocolate cookie laced with a hint of espresso. This chocolate mocha cookie dough is like an actual Christmas miracle. It rolls out like a play-doh dream and bakes up with edges as sharp as the blade of a freshly sharpened ice skate.
Since these Peppermint Mocha Cookies bake up with sharp edges, they are a perfect canvas for cookie decorating
These cookies are an ideal canvas for decorating any way you wish. With this holiday cookie recipe, I went minimalist. The rich notes of cocoa and espresso are warm and sophisticated. Then the white chocolate dip adds a kiss of sweetness, and the peppermint brings a twinkle of holiday tingle. It's just the right amount of cheer without going all Clark Griswold on ya.
Decorating the Peppermint Mocha Cookies is easy
Since the chocolate holiday cookies are cut into such festive shapes, the decoration is minimal. First, melt the white chocolate chips or a chopped white chocolate bar over a double boiler. Alternatively, you can melt the white chocolate in a microwave. Then partially dip the cookies into the melted white chocolate.
Finally, while the white chocolate is still tacky, sprinkle on the crushed candy cane bits. Allow the chocolate to set and you are set! It really is that simple.
I highly suggest sending these easy to make, fantastically festive Peppermint Mocha Cookies to all of your friends and family. Even the grinchiest of Scrooges can handle baking up a batch, I'm speaking from experience here.
If baking these cookies doesn't give you the slightest twinkle of the holiday spirit, just taste one. I promise, these Peppermint Mocha Cookies taste like actual Christmas cheer.
More cheerful holiday cookie recipes
Recipe
Peppermint Mocha Cookies
- Total Time: 55 minutes
Description
Notes of dark chocolate and espresso add richness to these Peppermint Mocha Cookies. A plunge into melted smooth white chocolate and a festive sprinkle of crushed peppermint brings a twinkle of holiday tingle .
Ingredients
- all purpose flour - 4 ½ cups
- dark unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona - 1 ½ cups)
- instant espresso powder - 2 tablespoons
- baking powder - 1 ½ teaspoons
- salt - 1 ½ teaspoons
- unsalted butter at room temperature - 1 ½ cups (3 sticks)
- eggs at room temperature - 4
- granulated sugar - 1 ½ cups
- brown sugar (lightly packed - ½ cup)
- pure vanilla extract - 2 teaspoons
- white chocolate chips - 2 cups (one bag)
- crushed peppermints or candy canes - ¼ - ½ cup
Instructions
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together on high speed for about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
- Crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup and add the vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowly add to the sugar mixture one egg at a time, allow each egg to blend in completely before adding the next. Scrape the sides of the bowl down.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on low until just mixed and smooth. The dough will be soft and sticky and looks like a giant tootsie roll at this point.
- Divide the sticky soft dough into two or three equal disks and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in refrigerator for at least an hour up to overnight, the dough needs to firm up.
- Be sure to have cookie cutters and a rolling pin available.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to ¼" thickness on floured counter top. Cut the rolled dough into chosen shapes. Gather the scrapes and repeat until the dough is all shaped.
- I like to chill my dough at this point, at least 20 minutes so the dough will hold it's shape and bakes up with crisp edges.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Place cookies on lined baking sheets at least 1" apart and bake for 12-15 minutes (depending on size) until the cookies feel firm to the touch, rotating once during the bake. Remove from oven and cool on cookie racks.
- Once cooled, melt the white chocolate chips over a double boiler and dip the cookies into the chocolate as desired. Place on wire rack and while the chocolate is still tacky, sprinkle with peppermint bits. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or packaging.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Sabrina says
These are so cute and I love peppermint and chocolate!!
beckysue says
Thanks Sabrina! It's a tasty combo. 😀
Jodi K says
So excited to make these little gems! Would you please confirm how many cups of dark cocoa to use? Thank you so much for the inspiration!!
beckysue says
Hi Jodi! So glad these inspired you. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of cocoa powder. Sorry, that little yellow note sometimes partially covers the ingredients list. Let me know if you make them and what you think! 😀 Happy Holidays to you and yours.