Pale golden cookies with white chocolate chips and crushed red-and-white peppermint candy on a white plate.

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

White chocolate peppermint cookies combine white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes in a tender holiday cookie.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 7

Chilling and Cooling Time 25

Total Time 42

Servings cookies

Calories 176

Equipment

1 set Measuring Cups and Spoons for the cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, and pinch measures
1 Medium Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl for the dry mixture
1 Whisk for dispersing the salt and leaveners through the flour
1 Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment for creaming the butter and sugars and mixing the dough
1 Silicone Spatula for scraping the mixer bowl and folding in chips and candy
1 Cookie Scoop 2-tablespoon capacity; for dividing 18 even portions
1 Small Shallow Bowl for the 1/4 cup candy-cane dipping portion
2 Baking Sheets for arranging all 18 portions for one oven cycle and cooling them after baking
as needed Parchment Paper for lining the baking sheets
1 Full-Size Refrigerator for the 5-to-10-minute shaped-cookie chill
1 Oven for baking at 350°F
1 Kitchen Timer for the short chill, bake, and cooling intervals
1 pair Oven Mitts for handling the hot baking sheets
as needed Plastic Wrap for wrapping the dough log before freezing
1 Resealable Freezer Bag for airtight frozen-dough storage
1 Freezer for optional storage of the wrapped dough log

Ingredients

Peppermint Cookie Dough

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
¾ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup crushed candy canes for the dough
¼ cup crushed candy canes for dipping
1 pinch table salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch baking powder
1 large whole eggs room temperature
½ cup white granulated sugar
1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon food-grade peppermint oil

Instructions

Mix the Cookie Dough

Whisk the all-purpose flour, table salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium stainless steel mixing bowl until the fine ingredients are evenly dispersed.
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 pinch table salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 pinch baking powder
Beat the room-temperature unsalted butter, 1/2 cup white granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar with the paddle attachment for about 4 minutes, until the mixture looks lighter and evenly creamed.
1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup white granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
Beat in the room-temperature large whole egg. Scrape the bowl, then mix in the vanilla extract and food-grade peppermint oil until evenly blended.
1 large whole eggs, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon food-grade peppermint oil
Add the prepared dry mixture to the creamed base and mix on low only until the dough is almost combined, with just a few flour streaks remaining.
Fold in the white chocolate chips and the 1/2 cup crushed candy canes reserved for the dough. Stop as soon as both are distributed and the last flour streak disappears.
3/4 cup white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup crushed candy canes

Shape, Chill, and Bake

Divide the dough into 18 portions of about 2 tablespoons each. Shape each portion into a ball, press one side into the 1/4 cup crushed candy canes reserved for dipping, and place the plain side down on parchment-lined baking sheets.
1/4 cup crushed candy canes
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Refrigerate the shaped portions for 5 to 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
Bake at 350°F for 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the cookies while the centers still look soft and the edges are just set; they will continue to settle on the hot sheets.
Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for 15 minutes, until the soft centers have set enough for the cookies to be handled and served.

Notes

Use food-grade peppermint oil. Keep the crushed candy canes in two portions: 1/2 cup for the dough and 1/4 cup for dipping. To freeze unbaked dough, shape it into a log, wrap it well, and seal it in a freezer bag. Chill shaped portions for 5 to 10 minutes, bake for 6 to 7 minutes at 350°F, and cool on the sheets for about 15 minutes, until set enough to handle.

Nutrition