Description
These peppermint sugar cookies feature crisp edges and soft, chewy middles infused with refreshing peppermint flavor and a festive chocolate peppermint swirl. They are slice-and-bake style cookies with a beautiful peppermint candy design, perfect for holiday cookie exchanges or Christmas boxes. The recipe is easy to make ahead and combines classic sugar cookie taste with a fun holiday twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup butter (softened slightly)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 cups all purpose flour (240g)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (dutch processed)
Coloring and Coating
- red gel food coloring (as needed)
- white gel food coloring (optional)
- ¼ cup coarse sugar (for coating)
- 2 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies (or crushed candy canes)
Instructions
- Mix Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar just until combined, avoiding whipping it light and fluffy.
- Add Flavorings and Egg: Add the sea salt, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and egg to the butter mixture and mix just until combined; it may look slightly split.
- Incorporate Flour: Sift the all-purpose flour directly into the bowl and gently mix with a mixer or spatula just until dough forms.
- Divide Dough: Remove about one third of the dough and set it aside separately.
- Color Red Dough: Cut the smaller dough portion in half; add red gel food coloring one drop at a time into one half, mixing well to achieve vibrant red color. Shape into a short, thick 4-inch log on parchment paper, then freeze until completely frozen, about 20 minutes.
- Color White Dough (Optional): Take the other half of the smaller portion and add white gel food coloring a few drops at a time to color it white. Shape into a 4-inch log and freeze until completely frozen, about 20 minutes.
- Make Chocolate Dough: Add cocoa powder to the larger portion of dough and mix well to create the chocolate cookie dough; keep at room temperature.
- Slice Colored Logs: Remove the red or white frozen logs from freezer, cut each log in half lengthwise, then cut halves lengthwise again, and then cut each resulting piece in half to make eight rectangular wedges per log.
- Reassemble Logs: Alternately stack red and white wedges and press them firmly together to form two new logs. Join the two logs end-to-end, smoothing the joint with your fingers, then wrap in parchment paper and freeze for about 10 minutes to firm up.
- Wrap in Chocolate Dough: Flatten the chocolate dough into a rectangle approximately the same length as the colored logs on parchment paper. Remove the colored logs from freezer and place on top, then wrap the chocolate dough all around the colored log, smoothing the surface and redistributing dough as needed.
- Coat with Sugar and Peppermint: Mix coarse sugar and crushed peppermint candies on parchment paper and roll the entire log in the mixture until liberally coated. Wrap in parchment paper and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes until completely chilled.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C) while the cookie log chills.
- Slice and Bake: Remove chilled log from freezer and slice into ½ inch thick slices. Place slices on a parchment-lined or non-stick cookie sheet spaced 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 11 minutes or until tops lose shine but middles remain soft and slightly underbaked.
- Cool Cookies: Transfer cookies with a spatula to a cooling rack and let cool completely before serving. Repeat baking with remaining slices.
Notes
- These cookies have crisp edges with soft, chewy centers and a festive peppermint chocolate swirl perfect for holiday occasions.
- You can omit the white gel food coloring if desired; the cookies will still look beautiful.
- Freezing the logs solid before slicing helps maintain clean, defined peppermint swirls and shapes.
- Use a sharp knife for clean cookie slices to avoid dough crumbling.
- Perfect for making ahead; logs can be frozen for longer storage before baking.
- For extra peppermint flavor, consider adding a bit more peppermint extract to dough.
- Adjust baking time slightly if your oven runs hot or cool, watching for the tops to lose shine but centers stay soft.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 174 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 129 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 29 mg
