Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Chocolate and mint together are some of my favorite flavors at Christmas time. One of the cookies that my mom makes are round chocolate cookies with a green mint frosting. To mint things up even more this year, I baked Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies. They are chocolate cookies that are topped with a Peppermint Hershey's Kiss. My boys both helped me make the cookie dough. They love to take turns dumping in the ingredients. I can't wait until they're a little older and then they can get in on the fun even more.

After we added the mint extract, the whole kitchen smelled like chocolate and mint. Ahh, that smell means Christmas baking to me. When the cookies were done, we just had to taste test one, or maybe two. Everyone knows that there's nothing like a cookie right out of the oven, and you must have at least two straight away. The chocolate cookie was so soft, yet a little crispy on the outside. It tasted a little like a brownie and the mint was the perfect amount. The Peppermint Kiss was still soft and melted a little on the warm cookie. It takes a little effort to make cookies, but the results are always worth it. Because fresh cookies are delicious and I get time bonding with my boys, and sharing the cookies with the ones we love.

I found the recipe here on smalltownwoman.com.

Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon mint extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 28 unwrapped peppermint kisses

Instructions:

Cream butter & both sugars with mixer. Add eggs one at a time and mix just until incorporated. Mix in mint extract.  

Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup dry mixture to butter mixture. Blending after each addition just until combined and scraping side of mixer bowl as needed. Remove bowl from mixer, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter hands and roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. 

Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only. Press one peppermint kiss into the top of each cookie. Move to cookie cooling racks being very careful not to the touch the kiss.


I got around three dozen cookies. Enjoy!