Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies

I came across these cookies on Tastespotting from the Two Peas and their Pod blog and I thought that they would be great for Christmas. I do like to make family favorites this time of year, but I usually try a couple of new recipes too. I also had some crushed peppermint candy to use up, so I figured that these would do perfectly.

I have to say that my cookies look a lot different from the ones posted on Tastespotting. There are a couple of differences in these cookies compared to other cookies that I make. This uses vegetable oil rather than butter. Also, they call for two teaspoons of baking powder, which is a lot for a cookie. I wondered if this was a mistake in the recipe, but figured I would give it a shot and see how they turned out. Mine are a lot puffier than the ones I saw first, so maybe I should have decreased the baking powder.

I rolled the cookie balls entirely in the crushed peppermint candies, but I think I would just dip the tops of the cookies in the peppermint candies. The candies melt around the edges and stick to the baking mats that I use, so they were a little tricky to handle once they came out of the oven. Although they look a little different than I had expected, they taste really great. These were a big hit with the people I gave them to this holiday season. I think I will make them a regular in my holiday repertoire.

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 candy canes-crushed up

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large mixer bowl, combine the oil, chocolate and granulated sugar and blend on medium speed. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed, stopping once to scrape down the sides. Mix until just incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. The dough will be sticky.

Gather the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats.
Pour the crushed candy canes onto a plate or into a shallow bowl. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball into the candy cane pieces, so that all sides are covered. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes for soft, chewy cookies, or 12 minutes for crisp cookies, rotating the pans halfway through baking. The cookies do set up, so if you want them soft, take them out at 10 minutes. Let cool completely on cooling racks.

Recipe from Two Peas and their Pod