I took these cookies when I went into work to introduce Lily to everyone. I figured if the cute baby wasn't enough to make them miss me, maybe the cookies would seal the deal. And they did! I'm invited back after my maternity leave. Then I was going to give the rest to my neighbors but they went out of town for the weekend. So... uhhh... the leftovers just disappeared out of the tupperware on the counter top. I have no idea where they went...
As you will soon see from other recipes that I will post soon, I went a little candy cane crazy this year. But really, December is the only time when you can put candy canes in food and not get weird looks, so I'm milking it.
Evidently, I'm also going shortbread crazy this year. First, it was the cranberry shortbread cookies from last week. And now these cookies have a shortbread base, too. If you go to the grocery and find that the butter has sold out, you most likely will find it in my fridge. Or at least you would have before it all went in my oven.
I love melting chocolate chips on the fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies. It is so much easier than having to melt the chocolate separately. It also reminds me of chocolate caramel crackers that I made last year. Oh, heaven. If you haven't made them get the saltines out of your hurricane supply kit right now and made them. You won't regret it.
Peppermint Bark Cookies (from Bon Appetit):
Nonstick vegetable oil spray 2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg yolk 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped candy canes (I used 6 candy canes)
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.
Drop dough into prepared baking pan. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.
Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over. Let it sit until completely cooled.
Using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. Using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces. You can also drizzle white chocolate over top of these cookies, which would be wonderful, but I decided not to do it this time. Let me know how it turns out if you do it that way!