Peppermint Cookie Pops Food

PEPPERMINT BAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, then beat in the food coloring and vanilla and peppermint extracts, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the flour mixture in two batches until just combined.
• Spread the dough in the baking dish, pressing it with your hands until flat and even. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
• As soon as the bars come out of the oven, top with the white chocolate chips in a single layer. Let sit 2 minutes to soften, then spread into a thin layer with an offset spatula. Put the red candy melts in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Transfer to a small resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe diagonal stripes on top of the white chocolate. Sprinkle with the peppermint candies. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the bars cool completely.
• If the white chocolate is still soft, place the baking dish in the freezer for a few minutes until set. Lift the bars out of the baking dish, peel off the foil and cut into pieces.

PEPPERMINT PINWHEELS

Steps:

• Special equipment: 24 lollipop sticks
• Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar together in another large bowl. Add egg and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and peppermint extract. Gradually add the dry mixture, beating until combined. Remove half of the mixture from the bowl. Add food coloring, beating until fully combined. In waxed paper, roll out dough to form a large rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat this step with the other half of uncolored dough with no food coloring. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Tear out 1 sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Sprinkle the surface of the paper with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Very carefully, slide the red dough on top of the white dough. Trim edges if uneven and patch if necessary. Roll dough into a log, creating a swirl effect. Place the dough back in the refrigerator and let chill for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 °F.
• Slice the dough into 1/2-inch slices and place on a parchment lined sheet tray about 1-inch apart. Place lollipop stick about 1-inch through the flat side of the dough. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

PEPPERMINT COOKIES-AND-CREAM COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the vanilla, peppermint extract and eggs, then continue to beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Fold in the peppermint puffs, cookie crumbs and candy-coated chocolates until evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
• Divide the dough into 3-tablespoon portions and roll into uniform balls (there should be about 25 dough balls). Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
• Arrange the chilled cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each ball. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack until the cookies have puffed, the centers are just set and the edges have just turned golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a mixer beat together the butter with the sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in the vanilla. On a low speed beat in the flour mixture a little at a time. Gently mix in chocolate chips.
• On an ungreased cookie sheet, drop teaspoons of the batter about 2 inches apart. Bake until just cracked on top, about 8 to10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. Cool completely.
• For the glaze: In a small bowl mix together the sugar; mint extract and water until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium resealable plastic bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Let cookies stand until set, about 10 minutes.

PEPPERMINT COOKIE POPS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the 2/3 cup butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1-1/2 cups sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add the eggs and peppermint extract; beat until well comined. Beat or stir in the 4 cups flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the peppermint candies.
• Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 3 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
• Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl beat 1/2 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until combined. With mixer on low speed, beat in half-and-half or light cream. Beat in 2 cups all-purpose flour until dough is smooth. Divide dough into portions. Tint dough with desired paste food coloring pastel pink or green suggested). Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the chilled dough at a time to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch round scalloped cookie cutter, cut out dough. Place cookies about 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Tuck a lollipop stick under the center of each cookie. Press dough down slightly so that the cookie bakes around the stick.
• Using a decorative bag fitted with a medium writing or star tip, pipe colored dough onto cutouts, making borders, designs, or pictures and/or writing messages.
• Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minues or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Carefuly transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Makes about 24 (4-inch) cookies.

PEPPERMINT COOKIE (LOLLI)POPS

Steps:

• Crush 1/3 cup candy canes into fine powder using a blender or food processor, set aside. Crush the remainding 1 cup until coarse.
• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Beat butter and brown and regular sugar in mixer until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla.
• In separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pulverized candy canes. Stir into butter mixture using wooden spoon.
• Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
• Drop drough by tablespoons onto baking sheets. Slide lollipop stick under bottom half of each cookie. Bake for 6 minute.
• Remove cookies from oven and sprinkle coarse candy cane over cookies, pressing gently into each cookie.
• Place back in oven for another 5-8 min or until golden.
• Let cool on baking sheet for 5 min and remove and cool completely on cooling rack.