Peppermint bark brownie cookies

Chocolate mint is one of my all time favorite flavors. And combined with a brownie and a cookie, I don't think it could get any better. These cookies are incredibly fudgy, with white chocolate and crushed peppermint in every bite, making them reminiscent of one of my favorite winter treats - peppermint bark.

The first step for making these cookies is to make your homemade white chocolate bar with crushed peppermint. I melted my chocolate in the oven right on a parchment lined cookie sheet, but you can also do this step in the microwave with short intervals mixing every 15 seconds. The reason I like melting the chocolate in the oven for this recipe in particular is because then all you need to do is spread the melted chocolate, I used a small offset spatula, and sprinkle on your crushed candy canes and let it set. If you only have white chocolate chips on hand (rather than chopped chocolate) the oven method won't work and I'd instead suggest going the microwave route!

I used Spangler brand mini candy canes, but you could also use full sized candy canes from that brand or any other. From the same brand, it would be about three full sized candy canes - and I've shared the gram measurement so you can compare for whatever peppermint stick brand you choose to use.

I recently got a hand mixer and I was really excited to use it for this recipe. You can absolutely achieve an incredible end result with a stand mixer or whisk, but I found the hand mixer to be just what I needed to create the perfect brownie cookie texture without having to break out the stand mixer or using the muscle required with a whisk.

For a chocolate forward recipe like this, the quality of your chocolate is really important. I love to splurge on butter typically for a cookie (and really whenever possible!) but in this case, the cocoa powder, and white and semisweet chocolate are the ingredients that will impact your cookie taste and texture the most. I used Valrhona brand white chocolate and cocoa powder, and Guittard brand semisweet chocolate.

When it comes to measuring out your dough, I love these scoops from Cook'n Feel (I use the medium scoop usually for cookies) or this large scoop from Oxo. You can also use a large spoon, but this cookie dough is a bit wet so a scoop is really helpful for getting more even scoops.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (6 oz) white chocolate

• 8 mini candy canes 34g

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter 113g

• 1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 144g

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar 64g

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

• 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour 87g

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder 35g

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Total time: 2-3 hours

Prep time: About 30 minutes

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Servings: 14 cookies

Equipment:

• Cookie sheets

• Parchment paper

• Nonstick, heavy bottom pot

• Hand mixer (can use stand mixer or whisk instead)

• Spatula (or large spoon)

• Cookie scoop (2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons) or large spoon

• Additional equipment: large bowl, plastic bag, heavy tool or rolling pin, large round cookie cutter or small bowl (for shaping your cookie)

Cooking instructions:

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Spread your white chocolate evenly across a lined cookie sheet, I used parchment paper. Shape it into a rectangle in a single layer, with the chocolate pieces touching. Note: if you only have chocolate chips, the oven method wont work and you'll need to instead melt your chocolate in the microwave and then spread onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

While your oven preheats, add your peppermint sticks into a plastic bag and use a heavy tool, like a rolling pin or meat tenderizer, to crush your peppermint sticks. I like them to be close to a powder with some variation in size, but this is baker's choice!

Place your cookie sheet into the oven for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a spoon or flat tool, like an offset spatula, to spread your melted white chocolate. If it isn't fully melted, just place your pan back into the oven for a few additional minutes. Once your white chocolate is smooth, sprinkle your crushed peppermint sticks evenly across your white chocolate. Place your white chocolate into the fridge to set.

Wait about 30 minutes while your white chocolate sets and then begin your cookie dough.

Finely chop your semisweet chocolate and set aside. Into your nonstick pot and over a low to medium heat, add in your butter. Once your butter is more than halfway melted, add in your semisweet chocolate. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to stir your butter and chocolate until everything is melted together and smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Into a large bowl, add in both sugars and your eggs. Use your hand mixer at a medium speed to combine until your sugar and egg mixture lightens in color - this should take about 2 minutes.

Into your egg and sugar mixture, pour in your butter and chocolate and use your hand mixer to mix until fully combined, being sure to reach down to the bottom of your bowl (I recommend pausing, using your spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl and then do another mix).

Add in your peppermint extract and mix again until fully incorporated.

At this point, you'll add in your dry ingredients - flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Use your spatula or a large spoon to fold your dry ingredients in. Move slowly here and be sure to only mix as much as necessary. Once your dry ingredients are almost fully mixed in but not quite, pause.

Grab your set white chocolate and chop it up like you would a chocolate bar for any cookie recipe. You can also break off some larger chunks by hand and reserve those for the tops of your cookies.

Add in most of your chopped white chocolate peppermint bar to your cookie dough mixture. Continue to fold your dough together until your white chocolate pieces are dispersed throughout.

Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to portion out your dough. It should make about 14 cookies, 2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons per cookie. Space out your dough onto lined cookie sheets, I used parchment paper. If you reserved some of your white chocolate bar, press those pieces into the tops of your cookie scoops.

Place your cookie scoops into the fridge for about 30 minutes for a short chill, up to an hour.

When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your brownie cookies into the oven for 10-12 minutes. You'll know they're done when you see the shiny top but the cookies are still soft in the center. Note: Right when you remove them from the oven, I recommend gently shaping (or "scooting") your cookies using a round cookie cutter or bowl slightly larger than the size of your cookie - this will ensure they are perfectly round and thick in the center. Allow your brownie cookies to cool - knowing that they will be gooey and soft for the first hour or so out of the oven as they set and cool, and then perfectly fudgy later on!

You can store your brownie cookies at room temperature or in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days in an airtight container, though they'll be freshest for the first two days. I recommend popping the cookies into the microwave for about 10 seconds to refresh if you're enjoying them after the day they were baked. You can also store the fully baked cookies in the freezer to eat any time!

Carb and serving info:

Carbs for full recipe: 550

Carbs per serving (1 of 14): 39

Carbs from semisweet chocolate: 108

Carbs from white chocolate: 108

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.