Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookie Recipe
A chocolate peppermint bark cookie recipe featuring a rich chocolate dough punctuated by generous amount of chopped peppermint bark and mini chocolate chips.
Here's a twist on the Peppermint Bark Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe you like so much. The key to making these cookies taste delicious is to load them up with the peppermint bark. This dough also freezes really well. So, as I mention in the head notes, make a big batch, cook half of them and shape the other half into dough balls. Freeze them on a cookie sheet until hard and keep them in a freezer-proof plastic bag - ready to bake anytime.
As I mentioned in the "plain" version of the peppermint bark cookie recipe - using the right kind of peppermint bark is important. In my opinion thick is better than thin. In the past, I've attempted to cut corners (be forewarned) - the time I tried to stir in a blend of white chocolate chunks, semi-sweet chunks, and crushed peppermint sticks in place of the actual bark, didn't work out very well. The peppermint stick need the support of the raft of chocolate beneath it, or else it just melts and leaves big pockmarks wherever the peppermint chunks were.
Recipe updated: 12/07
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Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookie Recipe
Nearly a pound of peppermint bark goes into these cookies, not quite, but close. This is a large batch of cookies, I typically bake off half of them, form the rest of the dough into cookie-sized balls, and place them in freezer bag for later use. And on the ingredient front - I love the flavor of Dagoba cocoa/cacao powder.
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
1 cup non-alkalized cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups peppermint bark, roughly chopped
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Position the racks in the middle of the oven, and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until it is the consistency of a thick frosting. beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Stir in the vanilla until evenly incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in 3 increments, stirring between each addition. At this point you should have a moist uniform dough. Stir in the peppermint bark, and optional chocolate chips by hand, mixing only until evenly distributed. Reserve a bit of the bark to sprinkle on top of the cookies after you have dropped them onto the baking sheets.
Drop a heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 10 - 14 minutes, until very fragrant. Cool on wire racks.
Makes 2 to 3 dozen medium-large cookies.
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Hey Heidi- I actually had some peppermint bark left over after making this. Since I was already making your gelato, and had a little left, I added it into the recipe, in place of the regular chocolate. Killer stuff. Everyone went back for seconds, and mysteriously, the last of it disappeared from the freezer overnight. :) Thanks again.
I made these cookies today. I had intended to make them the day you posted the recipe but never got to that. Oh well. Today I had guests coming over so I made the dough but never made the cookies while they were here. So after they left, I rolled the dough into balls and put the peppermint bark in each one, flattened them and baked them. The last tray is in the oven now. I have eaten 3 of the cookies. They are delicious. Not too overly minty. I used Scharfen Berger Semi-Sweet Chocolate and I think they came out a touch dry. I think next time I'll use semi-sweet morsels instead. Otherwise I love them. I will probably end up eating every one! I will put this recipe with the others from the holiday so next year I can find it again. I always lose my favorites from the year before. Thanks for posting this recipe. It is a winner.
Well, I actually went out and purchased more peppermint bark just for making these cookies. Heavenly. Now it's definately time to get back into the ol' jogging routine again! ;)
Hi Heidi....am a personal friend of your Aunt Shays.She turned me on to your web page. Am making cookies tomorrow. Will try out this new cookie recipe you have provided. your Aunt Shay is a great cook. We are always trading recipes. I call her the new Martha...Thanks again for the recipe. Dixie Kingsburg,Ca
The cookies look great- too bad we finished off the peppermint bark just last night! ;) And Margie, if you are stateside, and have a World Market close to you... they have the most fabulous peppermint bark I've ever tasted there.
I make peppermint bark every December for gifts. It is a big hit. I melt dark chocolate, spread it on cookie sheets and freeze it for 1/2 hr. Then I melt white chocolate, mix in crushed candy canes and spread that on the frozen chocolate layer. Freeze that and then break it into pieces. I mix in a bit of peppermint oil to both layers of chocolate. I get requests every year. I love to eat a bit of it too. Now I have something to do with the leftovers. Thanks Heidi. I got the idea from Williams-Sonoma in the first place. I thought they wanted way too much for a pound of the stuff ($16 a lb) so I bought some cheap dark chocolate (Hersheys) and had some white chocolate and candy canes on hand already. So for the last 3 years I've been making it and it is a big hit! I brought some to a Christmas party last night and the 2 people I gave it to (as a gift) were thrilled. Wanted to know how it was made! Didn't really tell them the whole secret to how easy it is! Heidi, thanks for the great cookie recipe. I love making cookies. I am probably the only one around here who truly eats them too. It is a miracle I'm not 200 lb! RisaG
In case Heidi doesn't get to it: Peppermint Bark is a great treat, especially during the holidays! It is available at Williams Sonoma (as well as other places) and is a dark chocolate & peppermint oil base with white chocolate & peppermint oil & crushed candy cane top. I have made it myself and it turned out better than the stuff they sell at Willams Sonoma -- I will be posting the picture and recipe before December 20th, I hope!
hey, that's the ribbon i've been using to make bags, heidi! you know, i've seen more peppermint bark this year in various stores. it shouldn't be as hard to find or expensive as it was the first year you made these cookies. just saw the feature on you in 7x7. very cool!
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