Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies (Printer-friendly)
Rich chocolate sandwich cookies filled with peppermint cream — festive, easy to assemble and great for gifting.
# What You Need:
→ Chocolate Cookie Dough
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 g)
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (45 g)
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115 g)
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Peppermint Cream Filling
09 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115 g)
10 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (180 g)
11 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
12 - 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
13 - Pinch of salt
14 - A few drops of green or red food coloring (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the creamed butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
05 - Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, flatten each slightly into a disc, and arrange them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets to allow for spreading.
06 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the cookies are set and the tops appear dry. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
07 - Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sifted powdered sugar, heavy cream, peppermint extract, salt, and food coloring if using. Beat on medium speed until the filling is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
08 - Spread or pipe approximately 1 tablespoon of peppermint filling onto the flat side of half the cooled cookies. Gently press the remaining cookies on top, flat side down, to form even sandwiches.
09 - Refrigerate the assembled cookies for 15 minutes to allow the filling to firm up before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast between deep, fudgy chocolate and cool peppermint cream is genuinely addictive and impossible to stop at one.
- They look impressive enough for gift boxes but come together with basic pantry ingredients you probably already have.
02 -
- If you rush and assemble while the cookies are still warm, the filling will melt into a puddle and slide right off, so wait until they are completely cool.
- Adding too much peppermint extract can make the filling taste like toothpaste rather than candy, so measure carefully and taste as you go.
03 -
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform portions so every sandwich cookie is the same size and bakes evenly across the entire batch.
- Crushing peppermint candies in a sealed zip top bag with a rolling pin gives you perfect crunchy edges without making a mess or losing half the pieces.