Let there be chocolate!
If, like me, you’re a fan of dark chocolate peppermint bark at Christmastime, you’re going to love these cookies. Your friends and family will, too.
But you’ll have to plan ahead because the batter is so soft it needs to chill overnight before scooping.
The main ingredient here is chocolate. The cookie’s base is made of unsweetened and bittersweet chocolate. Afterward, additional chunks of the bittersweet chocolate — along with the crushed mint candy — are folded in.
The key to this recipe’s success is good quality bittersweet chocolate — that is, a brand that contains at least 60 per cent cacao.
The higher the percentage of cacao in a chocolate bar, the darker and more intense the flavour.
That’s why we’re adding chunks of chocolate instead of chocolate chips — bittersweet bar chocolate contains much more cacao than most chips.
Chopping the chocolate will take a little time.
CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES Makes: 3 dozen cookies
1 lb (454 g) bittersweet chocolate
4 oz (114 g) unsweetened chocolate
8 tbsp (120 mL) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract 1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) baking powder 1/4 tsp (1 mL) table salt
1 cup (250 mL) hard red-andwhite peppermint candies
1. Coarsely chop one-half of the bittersweet chocolate and all of the unsweetened chocolate.
2. In a medium metal bowl combine the coarsely chopped chocolates and the butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water, and melt the mixture, stirring often.
3. Remove from the heat as soon as all of the chocolate is just melted.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl with electric beaters (or in a stand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is very thick and pale, about 10 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Chop the remaining bittersweet chocolate into chocolatechip size pieces. Chop or crush the peppermint candies into 1/4- to 1/3-inch (6-8-mm) pieces.
6. Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture using a large rubber spatula. Add the flour mixture and fold it in until it is just incorporated.
7. Add the chip-size bittersweet chocolate and the peppermint pieces and stir gently, just until incorporated. Cover and chill the mixture overnight.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper, scoop out the batter into balls about the size of a walnut and arrange them on the baking sheets, leaving an inch (2.5 cm) of space between them.
9. Working with one sheet pan at a time, bake the cookies on the middle shelf of the oven for 9 to 11 minutes, until they are shiny on top and set around the edges but still soft to the touch on top.
10. Let them sit on the sheet pans for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a rack to cool.