Peppermint Bar Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat butter, vegetable shortening, light brown sugar, and white sugar in a separate large bowl until creamy. Beat eggs, vanilla and peppermint extracts, and red food coloring into butter mixture until smooth. Gradually beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients until dough is smooth. Fold white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes into dough.
• Pinch off 1-tablespoon-sized pieces of dough, roll into balls, and place on ungreased baking sheets. Lightly flatten cookies with the bottom of a drinking glass.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are set but not browned, 9 to 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to finish cooling on wire racks.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package. Spread in greased foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
• 2. Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.
• 3. Meanwhile, beat confectioners' sugar, 7 tablespoons of the butter, cream and peppermint extract in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended and smooth. Spread evenly over cooled brownie. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• 4. Microwave chocolate and remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter in large microwave bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Spread over top of chilled brownie. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies, if desired. Cut into bars.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat the butter and white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat egg into butter mixture until completely incorporated. Mix flour and salt into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Fold crushed candy canes into the batter, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Roll dough into balls 1 tablespoon at a time; arrange on baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar and warm water together in a small bowl until you have a smooth icing. Dip top of each cookie in the icing, Top with additional crushed candy cane, if desired. Set aside to let the icing dry, at least 5 minutes.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place rack in middle position of oven. Line a 13-9 inch metal baking pan with 1 sheet of foil, allowing 2 inches of foil to hang over each end of pan. Butter foil, except for overhang.
• 2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, soda and salt in a small bowl.
• 3. Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg until combined.
• 4. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and peppermint candy pieces.
• 5. Spread dough evenly in pan and bake until puffed and beginning to pull away from sides of pan, about 20 minutes.
• 6. Cool completely in pan, then, lifting with foil, transfer to a cutting board. Cut into bars and lift off foil with spatula.

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat butter with both sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and peppermint extract; beat until well combined. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Mix in bittersweet chocolate. Transfer dough to plastic wrap, form into a disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days; or freeze up to 1 month.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop scant tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating rack positions halfway through, until cookies are puffed and just set at edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Place starlight mints 1 inch apart on another parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until soft to the touch and just beginning to melt, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately top with another sheet of parchment that's been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Press firmly with another baking sheet or a large, heavy skillet to flatten mints into thin disks slightly smaller than cookies. Let cool completely on tray. Remove parchment. (Mints can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.)
• Spoon 1/4 teaspoon white chocolate onto center of each cookie. Top with a flattened mint, pressing slightly to adhere. Let stand until chocolate sets, about 1 hour; or refrigerate 5 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of paper to hang over the sides.
• Make the shortbread: In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add butter and process until a smooth dough forms. Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake until firm to the touch, and sides of the crust are beginning to pull away from the pan, about 25 minutes. Cool completely.
• Make the filling: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, cream and peppermint extract. Beat until mixture forms a thick, smooth paste. Press filling evenly over shortbread. Chill to set the filling for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Use parchment paper overhang to lift the shortbread and peppermint out of the baking pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares (there should be 36 squares). Place squares on a rack placed over a parchment-lined sheet tray, and let them come to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt 7 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat, add remaining 2 ounces chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
• Add coconut oil, if using, and stir the chocolate until smooth. Spoon 1 teaspoon chocolate on top of a cut peppermint square, using the back of the spoon to spread chocolate to the edges. Be sure to fully cover the top of the square with chocolate. (Leave the sides exposed, though it's O.K. if some of the chocolate drips down.) Repeat with remaining squares.
• Let squares sit at room temperature until chocolate is set, at least 1 hour.