For your last minute baking. From my new book, Ancient Heritage Cookies.
This special recipe is good any time of the year for the chocolate peppermint craver in your life. This crispy, chewy cookie is packed with extra chocolate and delivers a solid peppermint flavor. I use King Arthur Flour’s double-Dutch dark cocoa to get a dark, rich color and deep chocolaty taste.
Double-Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Chilling Time: 2 hours or overnight
Makes about 40 cookies
1 cup spelt flour (120 grams)
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (double-Dutch dark cocoa preferred) (22 grams)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (113 grams)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (165 grams)
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped bittersweet (60% cacao) or semi-sweet chocolate chips or bars (204 grams)
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, with speed set to high, beat butter and brown sugar 1 to 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Beat about 1 minute, until combined. Set mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips. Mix until combined. Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight, for flour to hydrate.
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Using a medium cookie scoop, such as #60, form 2 teaspoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place on prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are firm to touch. Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies, still on parchment, to wire racks to cool completely.
Store in airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.