Double Chocolate-Peppermint Crunch

These cookies are really delicious. I will definitely be making these again before Christmas.

The recipe is from Epicurious. You can find it here.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (My grocery store only had the Ghirardelli brand, and they weren't cheap.)
1 1/5 cups flour
1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
2 eggs
4 candy canes, crushed

Preheat the oven to 375.

I don't always have the right tools in the kitchen, but I try to make do with what I have.

The recipe instructed to melt 2 cups of the chocolate chips in a metal bowl over simmering water. I don't have a metal bowl. I used another small saucepan. After the chocolate chips are melted, you are supposed to set aside 2/3 cups of the melted chocolate in a metal bowl. I used a small frying pan.


Next mix the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. In another large bowl, beat the butter at room temperature. I used a mixer. Then, add the sugar, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Add the eggs and beat. Mix in the melted chocolate chips (not the 2/3 cups from the metal bowl that was set aside). Then, add the dry ingredients. Use an electric mixer to blend. Then, add 1/2 cup of the unmelted chocolate chips.

Form balls of about the size of 1 tablespoon of dough, and place the balls on your baking sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes.

While the first batch of cookies are baking, start crushing the candy canes. To crush the candy canes, I used a beer bottle. It was really loud, and my neighbors probably wanted to kill me.

When the cookies are done baking, put them on parchment paper on a drying rack. I used wax paper, and it was fine.

Use the reserved melted chocolate (needs to still be warm), drizzle the chocolate on the cooled cookies. Sprinkle on the crushed candy cane pieces.