Monday, December 24, 2012

Santa's Favorite Cookies

These have been updated to a larger size cookie with a Levain Bakery style method of baking. So damn good.



Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies

1 cup cold Butter straight from the fridge
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, cold
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 Cups sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
1 Large Box Junior Mints
8 large candy canes, crushed

Directions -

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside. (NOTE- Wax paper is NOT parchment paper. HAHA)

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl or kitchen aid fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugars. Take your cold butter out of the fridge and cut into tablespoon sized pieces and throw them into the sugar. Beat on medium for 4-6 minutes. The pieces of butter will fly around for the first few minutes but eventually they will start molding with the sugar. When finished it should be a thick pasty consistency.

4. Beat in cold eggs and vanilla until well combined about 2 minutes. 

5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Pulsing for a few times. If your dough is a little too sticky add a little more flour. You don’t want your flour too dry. Fold in the chocolate chips.

6. Tuck  2 Junior Mints into about 3 tablespoons of cookie dough. I use 3 level scoops of a cookie dough scoop, it’s about 3oz of dough if you weigh it.  Form into a ball and roll into crushed candy cane pieces. (I usually only roll the top half of the cookie.) Place cookies on parchment covered baking sheet. I bake 8 per sheet. 

4. Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes. Do not over bake. They will not look done. Cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  Makes 16 large cookies.
If you want to make smaller cookies, use one cookie scoop, 1 junior mint, and bake for 8 minutes. Will make about 3 dozen cookies.

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