The leaves have fallen, the ground is white with snow, it’s two weeks before Christmas, and all around the world, people are making recipes with chocolate and peppermint. The quintessential, perfect combination for the holiday season, and it’s time has come.

I am so happy right now.

This recipe is the first in our holiday series, so keep an eye out for more.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

(from Beantown Baker)

Ingredients (yields 4 dozen cookies)

1 cup butter, thawed

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups plus 2 tbsp flour

1 tsp baking soda*

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint crunch

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (can be substituted with more semi-sweet)

Directions

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and both sugars until fluffy in a large bowl (large, as in bigger than your head).

Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Crush peppermints into small pieces using a mortar and pestle or by placing them in a ziplog bag and smashing them with a bowl or other heavy object (the smaller the pieces are, the less chewy the cookie will be).

Fold in crushed peppermint and chocolate chips into the cookie dough.

Form dough into balls, one inch in diameter. Place about one inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet, and flatten them slightly with your hand.*

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-13 minutes, or until golden brown.

*Note: These cookies don’t flatten very much, due to the amount of candy and chocolate inside. So don’t be fooled – baking for a longer time will only burn your cookies. If they really won’t flatten, you can make the balls of dough into discs. Also, make sure you’re not using old baking soda, because that will reduce the cookies fluff. To be on the safe side, add an extra half teaspoon.

Happy week before finals week, everyone.

~Hafsa