Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies with Peppermint Chips

   

During Christmas grocery stores always crowd the aisles with displays of the most popular items.  That is where you can find marshmallows and yams, cream of mushroom soup and French's French fried onions.  There are lots of chocolate chips and nuts galore.  This year I saw something I had never seen before, Andes peppermint chips.  I love peppermint and bought a bag.  I didn't have an idea of where to use them, but I bought the bag and put it in the pantry for a future date.

After the last shopping trip, Lee mentioned that we had neglected to purchase any cookies.  I told him I would make some and then I remembered the peppermint chips.  Chocolate and peppermint go well together.  I thought about making a chocolate cookie and adding the peppermint.  But chocolate cookies just call out for chocolate chips, don't they?  So this is what I came up with.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies with Peppermint Chips

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups Andes peppermint chips

1/2 cup granulated sugar

   

Heat the oven to 375.  I like to use Silpat sheets for baking, but you can use parchment paper or just grease the cookie sheets.

   

Place the flour, salt, baking soda and the cocoa powder in a bowl.  Mix everything with a fork until blended.  Set aside.

   

I like to use my Kitchen Aid mixer for cookies, but it can be done by hand.  It is winter and my butter didn't want to get softened and toward the end of the mixing, the Kitchen Aid had to struggle a bit to get the job done, so I am glad I didn't  have to hand mix everything.

   

Use the paddle to mix up the butter and then add 1 cup of each of the two sugars.  Mix some more.  You might have to scrape down the sides.  I did.  Add the eggs and the vanilla.  Mix some more.

Add the flour to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, blending between each cup.  When everything is mixed together add the chocolate and peppermint chips and mix one final time.

   

I wanted big chewy cookies, so I used my middle size cookie scoop.  It is about 2 Tablespoons.  I scooped up some of the dough and dropped it in a bowl with the last 1/2cup of sugar.  Roll it so the ball is coated in sugar and place it on the prepared cookie sheet.  I only put 9 cookie dough balls on each sheet as they are big and will spread.

   

Cook for about 10 minutes.  Let them cool for at least 2 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.  They are big and soft and may break during the transfer.   Then you will have to eat the broken ones.  You can't serve a broken cookie to a guest!  But at least you can see how good they are and enjoy one while the chocolate chips are all melty.

   

The peppermint flavor (force) is really strong in these cookies Luke).  If you don't long for peppermint and miss the bite of a candy cane long after Christmas, these may not be for you.  However, there is an answer to the dilemma of wanting these cookies, but not wanting too much peppermint in one bite.

   

Make them into ice cream sandwiches, of course.  I had some vanilla ice cream just languishing in the freezer.  I set it out on the counter for a bit to soften and then put a large scoop in the middle of one of the cookies.  Place another cookie on top and gently squish them together.  Pop them back in the freezer for a refreshing treat.  I would recommend letting them warm up a bit as it was VERY hard to bite through the frozen cookie.

   

If you can't get enough peppermint goodness, you could use some peppermint ice cream...OOH, maybe I could use some chocolate ice cream...  I think I need to get back to the kitchen and start experimenting.  All in the name of science, of course.