These adorable and fun chocolate peppermint bark cookies are so fun to bake with kids. Let them decorate each one with a mix of fun candy toppings.
PREP TIME 15 minutesminutes
COOK TIME 15 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME 30 minutesminutes
YIELD 36cookies
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cookies:
1cup(2 sticks) buttersoftened
1cuplight brown sugarpacked
1cupsugar
2tspvanilla extract
2eggs
2/3cupunsweetened cocoa
2cupsall-purpose flour
1tspbaking soda
1tspkosher salt
For the Peppermint Bark Candy Topping:
22ozwhite chocolate chips
Assorted candies:We used crushed peppermint candies, M&M's, mini-chocolate chips, red hots, and leftover candy corn for snowmen noses
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time, and mix well.
Add the cocoa and mix again.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the chocolate with the mixer on low speed until just combined.
Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly.
Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone).
Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
In a metal mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water, slowly melt the white chocolate chips.
With a small frosting spatula or butter knife, spread a nice layer of chocolate on each cookie. Careful to not burn your fingers.
The chocolate will cool quickly so have your children decorate the cookies 1 at a time as you hand them over. Though the chocolate was hot to touch while I spread it on the cookie, my girls had no problems with it. Please just warn your helpers to just sprinkle the decorations and not handle the hot cookies till they've cooled just to be safe.