Pumpkin is nice and gingerbread is lovely, but of all the seasonal flavors available at this time of year, it’s peppermint that really gets me in the holiday spirit. There’s something so festive and right about the cool burst of spicy peppermint, especially when it’s paired with chocolate.
I’ve been meaning to make these Peppermint Sandwich Cookies with Candy Cane Bits (or Homemade Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s) ever since last year’s Eat My Blog charity bake sale. Valentina of Eastside Food Bites baked these for the event and I was fortunate enough to snag one before the hoards descended upon the spread. I dug into the cookie the following day and fell head over heels in an instant.
The star of the cookie is the pretty pink filling, with its clean peppermint flavor and crunchy bits of candy cane. The thin chocolate sables clasping onto the cream are crisp, buttery, and a touch salty, rounding out the sweetness just right.
Even though it’s sunny and snow-less here in Los Angeles, these cookies take me to a winter wonderland. Happy holidays!
For filling
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces white chocolate chips, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 15 individually wrapped peppermint candies
- 2 drops red food coloring (optional)
For cookies
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 15 tablespoons (7 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, but into 3/4-inch cubes, at room temperature
Make filling
In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium heat. Remove the cream from the heat and pour over the finely chopped white chocolate in a large bowl along with the peppermint extract. Make sure all the chocolate is covered by the cream. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk the white chocolate until completely melted. Let stand at room temperature.
While the filling cools down, chop the peppermint candies in a food processor until no large chunks remain. Add the candy to the filling along with the food coloring once it is completely cool.
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