The Best Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

When a dear old friend phoned last night to see if she could stop by this morning with a Christmas present for Jem, her godson, I told her we’d be delighted.

And then I hung up the phone with an “Ack! I don’t have anything for her yet!”

I quickly made plans to whip up a batch of my very favorite Christmas cookies from last year—the ones I talked about in this post—and ran to the grocery store after supper. I stood in the baked goods aisle for a full ten minutes, seeing every kind of baking chip possible except for the mint-flavored. (I did, however, finally find the price code for the mint chocolate chips. They were all out of them. Of course.)

Feeling stuck in a rut and as if nothing else could possibly do, I drove home deep in thought. I looked in the freezer and found a bag of miniature chocolate chips. Then I went to my stash of Christmas goodies and grabbed a couple of red-and-white striped candy canes.

Inspiration struck. I was in business.

The Very Best Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. salted butter - softened
• 3/4 C. dark brown sugar
• 1/2 C. white granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. peppermint extract
• 2 eggs
• 2-1/3 C. sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 package (10 oz.) mint chocolate chips (I only use half a package, but that’s just me.) And if perchance you cannot find the mint-flavored chocolate chips, do not fear! Use semi-sweet and proceed with confidence.
• Crushed candy cane pieces, about 1/3 cup.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Blend butter, sugars, extracts and eggs until mixed.
• Sift together flour, baking soda & baking powder. Blend into dough.
• Stir in chocolate chips. Chill approximately one hour in the refrigerator.
• Form dough into 1-inch balls and slightly flatten. Sprinkle a few crushed candy canes on top and gently push into the dough.
• Bake at 350° F for approximately 8 - 10 minutes.
• Cool on wire racks, gently pushing in any loose candy cane bits.

Eat one and box the rest up for your friend.

Or, conversely, eat the entire box and try to save one for your friend.

Either way, these cookies are very, very good.