Description
Delight in these festive Winter Wonderland Chocolate Chip Cookies, boasting a buttery crust loaded with semi-sweet and white chocolate chips, complemented by a refreshing crunch of crushed peppermint candies. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a cozy treat on a winter evening.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
- Prepare the Crust: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure easy cookie release and cleanup.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, creating a smooth base for the dough.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time to fully incorporate them, then stir in the vanilla extract to enhance the cookie’s flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to ensure even distribution of the leavening agent and seasoning.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined to avoid overmixing which can result in tough cookies.
- Fold in Chips and Peppermint: Gently fold the semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and crushed peppermint candies into the dough to evenly distribute these festive mix-ins throughout.
- Shape Cookies: Drop tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Bake: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 11 minutes or until the edges turn a golden brown, indicating they are perfectly baked.
- Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely, ensuring they firm up perfectly.
Notes
- You can customize the seasonings to taste by adding a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg for a spiced twist.
- Ensure butter is softened but not melted to achieve the best cookie texture.
- For extra peppermint flavor, add a few drops of peppermint extract along with vanilla.
- Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet to prevent breaking when transferring to racks.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
