Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Cookies
These deliciously fudge and chewy Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Cookies are sure to be your next favourite Christmas cookie! These cookies are decadently fudgy, as they are a true hybrid between a cookie and a brownie. They have those perfect crinkly tops too! A touch of peppermint extract, some melted white chocolate, and crushed candy canes take these cookies to the next level!
HOW TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BROWNIE COOKIES
1) Melt chocolate and butter: Add chopped chocolate and butter into a heat-proof bowl and place overtop of a simmering pot of water (bain-marie). Ensure that the bottom of the bowl isn’t actually touching the water. Heat and stir until all of the chocolate and butter is melted. Allow to cool slightly.
2) Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and peppermint: Add the eggs, brown sugar, peppermint extract and vanilla to a stand mixer and beat until the batter looks fluffy and has almost tripled in volume – about 3-4 minutes on high.
3) Add melted chocolate/butter: Add the slightly cooled melted chocolate mixture to the stand mixer, then mix until well combined with the rest of the batter.
4) Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and both cocoa powders. Whisk until well-combined
5) Add dry ingredients to batter: Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer then beat on medium-low until just combined and smooth.
6) Scoop onto baking sheets: Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the batter onto the baking sheet. The batter will be very similar to brownie batter. Use the back of the cookie scoop to flatten each batter mound.
7) Bake: Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
WHAT IS DUTCH PROCESSED COCOA?
This Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Cookie recipe calls for Dutch processed cocoa as the cocoa powder. ‘What the heck is Dutch processed cocoa powder’, you ask? Dutch processed cocoa is created by alkalizing regular cocoa powder to bring it up to a pH of 7. This process sort of strips the acidic properties out of the cocoa powder, leaving it with a much more mild, less astringent taste. By removing the astringency, the flavor of chocolate is able to shine through more, creating the illusion that it tastes more chocolatey! Definitely what we want for a brownie cookie recipe!
Be warned, however, that regular cocoa powder and dutch-processed cocoa powder cannot always be used interchangeably. Recipes that include baking soda need an acid to activate the baking soda to induce rising. In many recipes this ingredient is cocoa powder (pH=5.3). Therefore, using Dutch processed cocoa powder, which has a neutral pH, wouldn’t activate the baking soda, and another acidic ingredient would be required. This recipe does NOT require an acidic ingredient, as it uses baking powder instead of baking soda, which does not need to be activated.
Dipping the Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Cookies
I finished these Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Cookies by dipping them into a little melted white chocolate and sprinkling them with crushed peppermint candy canes! To do this, throw some finely chopped white chocolate in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup that is microwave safe. Place into the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted. Now simply dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, then sprinkle with the candy canes!
If you prefer no white chocolate or crushed candy canes, these cookies are still delicious without it! They’ll simply just look a little less festive!
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200g) Semi-sweet Chocolate,, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (114g) Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup (275g) Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp Peppermint Extract
- 1 cup (125g) All Purpose Flour,, measured correctly
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Espresso Powder
- 3 tbsp (16g) Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder,, sifted to remove lumps
- 1 cup (200g) Melted White Chocolate,, for dipping
- 1/4 cup Crushed Candy Canes,, for garnish
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment. Add chopped semi-sweet chocolate and butter into a heat-proof bowl and place over top of a simmering pot of water. Ensure bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water. Heat and stir until all of the chocolate and butter is melted. Allow to cool slightly.
- Add the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and peppermint extract to a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment, then beat until the batter looks fluffy and has almost tripled in volume – about 3-4 minutes on high. Add the slightly cooled melted chocolate mixture to the stand mixer, then mix until well combined with the rest of the batter.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, espresso powder and cocoa powder, and whisk until well-combined. Then, add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer then beat on medium-low until just combined and smooth. The batter will similar to brownie batter.
- While working quickly, use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the batter onto the baking sheets (6 per sheet). The batter should look similar to brownie batter (sticky and thick).
- Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
- Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted white chocolate, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
