Triple Chocolate Peppermint Ganache Cookies

Coming at you with another chocolate & peppermint Christmas cookie recipe!
Am I obsessed with this combo? Yes… moving on…

I feel like I have cookies everywhere in my apartment right now. Well, I guess I do… it actually looks less like a home, and more like a bakery…

(Not like that’s necessarily a bad thing).

I’ve totally been in a huge chocolate mood though and the only thing that I’ve wanted (since seeing them all over Pinterest and Instagram) have been these soft, fudgy triple chocolate cookies.

That’s right… these lil chocolate babies are loaded with chocolate chunks, and dipped in a dark chocolate ganache (before being sprinkled with crushed candy canes). Pure chocolate bliss right here!

As always, read the recipe before beginning and keep an eye out for the next cookie recipe! 😉 Have fun and get cooking!

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Ganache Cookies

Prep time: 45 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time: 60 mins

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 1¼ cups all purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 6 tablespoons cocoa powder

• ½ cup butter, room temperature

• ½ cup sugar

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

• 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (around 60-70% cacao)

For the ganache:

• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

• 1 cup heavy cream

• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

• Crushed candy cane pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract and mix until combined.

4. On low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir the chopped chocolate chunks into the batter using a wooden spoon or spatula.

5. Divide the dough into 1½ tablespoon-sized balls and drop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until cookies are set, but still soft in the center. (Don’t overbake!) Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Carefully move to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

6. While the cookies are cooling, make the ganache. Add the chopped chocolate to a large bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until it bubbles around the edges. Remove the cream from the heat and immediately pour it over the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes.

7. Start whisking slowly in the middle of the bowl, and continue whisking in one direction until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Once smooth, add peppermint extract and mix until incorporated.

8. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper. Dip the cookies, halfway, into the warm ganache. Place the dipped cookies on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with crushed candy cane pieces.

9. Let cookies sit until ganache hardens, about 2 hours. To speed up the process, you can place the cookies in the refrigerator to chill briefly.

*Notes:

1. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

2. For storing the ganache, place a piece of plastic wrap firmly against its surface so a film layer doesn’t form. Ganache can generally stay at room temperature for 2 days, as long as it’s kept in a cool place, and then it must be refrigerated, where it can stay for up to a month. Let it stand at room temperature to warm up.