Double chocolate peppermint crunch cookies

In two words I can summarize my son's outlook on gift giving and cartoon watching: Spoiler Fest.

He is still honing his storytelling skills, but sit down with him to watch a show he has already seen and you will quickly realize that he has a knack for picking out the most essential aspects of a plot ... and revealing them to you at least two minutes before they actually occur. Spoiler Fest.

The other day when I picked him up after school, he was positively brimming with excitement: last day of school for the year, and a Christmas present for Mommy and Papà! He paused long enough for me to thank him and then he spilled the beans. "Can you unwrap it now? I made it myself! It's an ornament with my picture in it!" Spoiler Fest.

There are times when it's great to find out things in advance - think recipes. I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to know if a recipe is worth making, worth eating, worth sharing. Over the years I've gotten better at discerning the good ones just by reading, but there are still times when I'm not completely sure. I know part of the adventure is not knowing, but I'm not big on throwing food away and I'm not big on choking down unpleasant-but-edibles ... so you can imagine how my "adventures" are usually very deliberately embarked upon.

A few weeks ago I spotted some very fetching cookies of the peppermint-and-chocolate kind, just in time for the Christmas season. I wanted to make them so very very badly, but there were so many unknowns. Would the chocolate flavour shine or be washed out? Two kinds of chocolate and espresso powder were good indicators of success, but sometimes even those don't do the trick. Would they be flat or chunky? Chunky in the picture does not guarantee chunky in your cookie jar. Plus, why oh why doesn't everyone - and a very respectable source - bake by weight? And a cookie recipe that doesn't specify yield? Things like that unsettle me. Where's a spoiler when I need one?

  

For the past month whenever I teetered on the edge of making these cookies I would instead scour my cookbooks for similar recipes to get an idea if the ingredient proportions were reasonable, or snoop into other people's kitchens to see if this particular recipe worked out for them. I'm weird that way (and in many other ways too). It's a wonder how I get any new-recipe-cooking done. Finally I couldn't take it anymore: bake or get off the bookshelf. Choosing to live dangerously, I baked.

I needn't have fretted. In fact, this has made it to the keeper pile. If you're the kind of person who appreciates baking spoilers, this is a very straightforward recipe that leads to a very pretty offering on your dessert tray. The cookie base packs a real chocolate punch that can stand even on its own, but big chunks of candy canes or peppermints make these otherwise-plain-janes festive and eye catching. Personally I like the red-and-whites more for their visual appeal because my teeth are not accustomed to the shattering of hard candy, but some people like the contrast between the soft (not chewy) cookie and the crunchy minty bits. I considered pulverizing the candy canes, but I went for looks instead.

Oh, and another spoiler? These will disappear quickly. So make sure you have one before you set others loose on 'em.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Adapted from Bon Appétit, December 2010

I like baking by weight so I've converted the volume measurements to ounces/grams. I've also changed the procedure a bit, particularly the first part where the chocolate is melted: since chocolate chips come in different sizes I just wanted a bit more control on how much of it really went into the cookie batter. These cookies have a hint of mint in them. If you are not too taken by the mint-chocolate combo, I think you could safely substitute the mint with vanilla.

Melt in a double boiler or in the microwave (using short bursts of 15 seconds), then set aside to cool slightly:

  6 ounces (170 grams; about 1 cup) bittersweet chocolate chips

In another bowl, whisk thoroughly to break up any lumps, then set aside:

  7.5 ounces (212 grams; 1½ cups) unbleached all purpose flour

  0.75 ounces (21 grams; ¼ cup) natural cocoa powder

  1 tsp baking powder

  1 tsp instant espresso

  ½ tsp salt

In a large bowl, beat until light and fluffy - this could take 3-4 minutes on medium speed:

  4 ounces (113 grams; ½ cup) butter

  7 ounces granulated sugar

Add:

  2 eggs

  1 tsp vanilla extract

  1 tsp peppermint extract (or additional vanilla extract)

Beat in the melted chocolate. Lower the mixing speed to the slowest possible setting and add the dry ingredients. Stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients have been incorporated.

Stir in:

  3 ounces (85 grams; ½ cup) bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F and set rack to middle position.

Measure 1½ tablespoons dough (#40 disher) and roll between your palms to form a ball. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Depending on how large your baking sheets are, you'll need 2 or 3 sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies about 1½ inches apart.

Bake cookies at 375°F until the tops are cracked, 10-12 minutes. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes - they will be very soft and fragile, but they will set nicely once cooled. Transfer to racks and let cool completely.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, decorate them if you wish.

Melt:

  3 ounces (85 grams; ½ cup) bittersweet chocolate chips

(The original recipe calls for double this amount, but I found that 3 ounces was enough. If you want to be really generous with your chocolate zig-zags then use 6 ounces).

Crush into chunks (¼" pieces or larger seem to make more of a statement, but go with whatever size you prefer):

  4 candy canes or 16 hard peppermint candies

Working one at a time, zig-zag melted chocolate over each cookie and sprinkle crushed candy canes over the chocolate so that they adhere. (I tried spirals of chocolate, but zig-zags were nicer).

Chill until the chocolate sets, about 20 minutes.

These cookies are best within a day or two of baking. They can be frozen for about 3 weeks.

Makes around 24 cookies.