It all started with a bunch of leftover candycanes. I crushed them up thinking I'd bake with them. It has been a while and I have only used a bit.
Then for a potluck I thought I'd make red velvet cupcakes...but thought it would be too easy...so I used my new pinterest account (I know I know I am behind a decade or so) to hunt up red velvet...and then red...and then came across a recipe for mint chocolate swirl cookies by Alton Brown (I love Good Eats).
But...I only had white baking chocolate. And I sill wanted redness and candycane involvement so I just tweaked it to get the following delicious minty cookie. It is a nice moist sugar cookie with strong mint flavour and faint chocolate flavour. Delicious.
Basically the recipe is altered and ended up as follows:
The basic sugar cookie recipe was made as listed, but not chilled the same way at all:
Sift together 3 c flour, 3/4 t baking powder and 1/4 t salt.
In mixer blend 1 c soft butter and 1 c sugar until fluffy. Beat in 1 egg and 1 T milk. Add in dry slowly on low speed and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Immediately after making the dough I divided it in half and made the 2 halves as follows:
-Mint half had 1 t peppermint extract and 1/2 c crushed candycane mixed in using the mixer.
-Chocolate half had 3 oz white chocolate melted and added along with 1 t cocoa (sifted) and about 1 t red colouring to make it nice and red.
I rolled the dough halves out to 1/4 inch think between wax paper to ~the same long rectangle shape (~6" high and 18" long) and then put the two layers on top of each other and gently pressed them together. Then I carefully rolled it up into a log, which I wrapped in wax paper and then saran and put in the freezer for about an hour until nice and firm. Then I rolled the log in a few sprinkles and cut cookies about 1/2 inch thick ( and about 2 inches around) onto cookie sheets lined with baking paper. Baked at 375 for 12 minutes. After 1 minute on the tray, they cooled on a wire rack.
So. Good. :)
