Peppermint Cookie Wands 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 BARK COOKIES

Steps:

• For the chocolate cookies: Cut two 13-by-18 pieces of parchment. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 2 minutes more.
• Place a sheet of parchment on a work surface. Transfer the dough to the parchment and cover with another sheet of parchment. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into an even layer that reaches the edges of the parchment. Slide the parchment and dough onto a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the top parchment from the dough and bake until firm and no longer shiny, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool completely.
• For the peppermint bark: Put all but 1 cup of the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until one-third of the chocolate is melted.
• Remove the bowl from the saucepan; keep the saucepan over low heat. Gradually stir the reserved 1 cup white chocolate into the bowl, a few pieces at a time, until all of the chocolate is melted; return the bowl to the saucepan for 5 to 10 seconds at a time as needed. Do not rush this step: It may take up to 10 minutes to melt all the chocolate.
• Wipe off any moisture from the bottom of the bowl. Stir the peppermint extract into the chocolate, then quickly pour over the cooled cookie base and spread in an even layer with a rubber spatula or small offset spatula.
• Sprinkle immediately with the peppermint candies, gently pressing the pieces into the white chocolate. Set aside at room temperature until firm, about 2 hours.
• Lift the bark cookie out of the baking sheet using the parchment and break it into pieces.

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 MUFFIN-TIN COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extracts and the egg. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove half of the dough and set aside. Add 5 to 6 drops of the red food coloring to the remaining dough in the mixer bowl and mix on low speed until completely incorporated.
• Alternating between the red and white doughs, spoon 8 heaping 1/4 teaspoon-sized pieces of dough (4 red and 4 white) into the bottom of each of the 12 cups of a standard muffin tin. Press to flatten the dough so the red and white pieces intermingle and form a slight tie-dye look. Place 1 frozen peppermint patty on top of and in the middle of each dough round, pressing very gently into the dough but making sure it does not break through and touch the bottom of the pan. Spoon 8 more heaping 1/4 teaspoon-sized pieces of dough (4 red and 4 white), alternating the colors, on top of each peppermint patty and press to flatten and completely cover the peppermint patties.
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the red and white sprinkles on top of the dough in each muffin cup to completely cover it. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 1 hour (or freeze until firm, about 20 minutes).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until the edges are just starting to turn golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then use an offset spatula to remove the cookies from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

PEPPERMINT COOKIE WANDS

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt in small bowl: set aside.
• In separate bowl, beat butter and sugar till fluffy; stir in vanilla.
• Gradually beat in flour mixture.
• Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes.
• Roll dough into 3" wands; arrange on greased baking sheets.
• Bake 350 for 10-12 minutes; cool completely on wire racks.
• Melt chocolate chips and shortening together in small pan.
• Dip one end of each wand into chocolate; place on wax paper-lined sheets.
• Sprinkle dipped ends with crushed candies.
• Refrigerate 20 minutes to set.
• Time indicated does not include chill time.

PEPPERMINT STICK COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Set aside half the dough. Divide remaining dough in half; add green food coloring to 1 portion and red food coloring to the other. Cover dough separately. Refrigerate 1-2 hours or until easy to handle., Preheat oven to 350°. Divide green and red dough into 24 portions each. Divide plain dough into 48 portions. Roll each into a 4-in. rope. Place each green rope next to a white rope; press together gently and twist. Repeat with red ropes and remaining white ropes. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes before carefully removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a microwave, melt white chips; stir until smooth. Dip cookie ends into melted chips; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with crushed candies and place on waxed paper. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

PEPPERMINT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in candy. , Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.