NomNom: Chocolate Peppermint Sandwiches

The month of December means that we are now entering peppermint flavor galore. I love anything with the hint of peppermint flavor, which means my all time favorite holiday treat (white chocolate peppermint bark) will be consumed in masses. So thankful that I have a gym in my building for seasonal situations such as this.

I mentioned in my last weekend snapshots that I bought the latest America's Test Kitchen magazine which focuses on Holiday cookies and tell me why page 2 had this glorious picture of these chocolate peppermint sandwiches.

I was intrigued. Interest was peaked. This was gonna get baked.

Earlier this week, I took one of my girlfriends out for a birthday brunch and decided to wake up a little earlier that morning to bake these for her. She has kids so I thought that they would love these little holiday treats as well. I wasn't sure what to expect with this dessert since I've never made them, but after taking a bite, or two, or three, into these sandwiches, I was sold. The sandwich texture is the perfect  hybrid of a brownie and a soft chewy cookie. The filling is sweet on its own but having it in between the chocolate sandwich offsets the sweetness and gives the sandwich a great balance. There's also just the right amount of peppermint hint to these fillings that doesn't overwhelm the chocolate flavor. It's pretty much awesome.

When my friend took a bite into these, she laughed and said something along the lines of "this might be really hard to share with my kids." I'm sure she was kidding.....

I hope you're enjoying the month of December and taking in all the holiday festivities that come along with it. If you're in a holiday baking stump, try making this dessert--I promise it will become a seasonal dessert you'll keep coming back to.

Oh, and you can find the interview Washington Life magazine did on me HERE regarding the Military Lady outfit post. Have a great weekend. Xo.


Ingredients (Adapted from America's Test Kitchen: Christmas Cookies): Yields 18 cookies
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons whole or low-fat milk
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup (2 ounces) confectioners' sugar
Red or green food coloring (optional)

Procedure
1. Adjust over racks to upper-middle and lower-middle poitions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Heat chocolate chips, brown sugar, 5 tablespoons butter, and water in medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Transfer chocolate mixture to large bowl and whisk in egg until incorporated. Stir in flour mixture until just combined.

3. Working with 2 tablespoons dough at a time, roll into balls and space them 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake until puffed and edges are set but centers are slightly soft, 8-10 minutes, switching on rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.

4. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons butter, milk, and peppermint extract together in medium bowl until combined. Add confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. If using food coloring, add 3 drops and mix until combined. Spread 1 teaspoon filling over bottoms of half of cookie then top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches before serving.