Description

These peppermint sugar cookies feature a festive and colorful peppermint swirl center surrounded by a rich chocolate dough. With crisp edges and soft, chewy middles, they deliver a refreshing peppermint flavor perfect for holidays and cookie exchanges. This slice-and-bake style recipe is straightforward, allowing you to prepare the dough and design in advance for ease and convenience.

Ingredients

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Main Dough

3/4 cup butter (softened slightly)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 large egg (room temperature)
2 cups all purpose flour (240g)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (dutch processed)

Coloring and Coating

red gel food coloring (as needed)
white gel food coloring (optional)
1/4 cup coarse sugar (for coating)
2 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies (or crushed candy canes)

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Instructions

Mix Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar just until combined, avoiding overbeating to prevent fluffiness.
Add Flavorings and Egg: Add sea salt, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and the egg; mix just until incorporated, even if the mixture looks slightly split.
Add Flour: Sift the all-purpose flour into the bowl and mix gently with a mixer or spatula until the dough forms.
Divide Dough: Cut off about one-third of the dough and set it aside for coloring; the remaining two-thirds will be for the chocolate dough.
Color Red Dough: Split the smaller dough portion in half; add red gel food coloring drop by drop into one half and mix to achieve a vibrant red. Shape into a 4-inch long, thick log on parchment and freeze for 20 minutes until solid.
Color White Dough: Add white gel food coloring to the other half of the small dough portion a few drops at a time to create a white dough (optional). Shape into a 4-inch long log on parchment and freeze for 20 minutes until firm.
Make Chocolate Dough: Add cocoa powder to the larger dough portion, mixing well to create chocolate cookie dough; leave at room temperature.
Create Wedges: Remove the frozen red and white logs, cut each in half lengthwise, then in half again repeatedly until you have eight equal wedges per color.
Assemble Logs: Alternate the red and white wedges by pressing and smoothing them together to form two new logs, then join those two logs end-to-end and smooth the joint. Wrap in parchment and freeze 10 minutes to set.
Wrap Logs in Chocolate Dough: Flatten the chocolate dough into a rectangle roughly the length of the assembled red and white log. Wrap this piece around the log using parchment paper, smoothing out the dough and distributing it evenly.
Coat with Sugar and Peppermint: Mix coarse sugar and crushed peppermint candies. Roll the dough-wrapped log in this mixture until well coated. Wrap in parchment and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes until fully chilled.
Preheat Oven: Heat the oven to 355°F (180°C) while the cookie log chills.
Slice and Bake: Slice the chilled log into 1/2 inch thick slices with a sharp knife. Place slices on parchment-lined or non-stick cookie sheets, spacing them 1 to 2 inches apart. Bake for 11 minutes or until tops lose shine but centers remain slightly soft.
Cool Cookies: Remove cookies from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack using a spatula. Allow to cool completely before serving or storing. Continue baking remaining slices in batches.

Notes

For best results, use room temperature ingredients to ensure even mixing.
The white gel food coloring is optional; without it, the dough will remain its natural color but still look festive.
If you don't have Dutch-processed cocoa powder, you can substitute with natural cocoa but expect a slightly different flavor.
The dough logs must be fully frozen before slicing to maintain the peppermint design.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
These cookies are perfect for making ahead and freezing, then slicing and baking as needed.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 174 kcal
Sugar: 12 g
Sodium: 129 mg
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2.4 g
Trans Fat: 0.3 g
Carbohydrates: 24 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 2 g
Cholesterol: 29 mg