Description
Delightful peppermint meltaway cookies deliver a festive winter treat with buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Crisp mint notes and powdered sugar coating provide a perfect holiday indulgence for cookie enthusiasts seeking simple seasonal elegance.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226 g / 8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups (178 g / 6.3 oz) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (68 g / 2.4 oz) cornstarch
- ½ cup (68 g / 2.4 oz) powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 2 tbsps (28 g / 1 oz) salted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (200 g / 7 oz) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsps half and half
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
- ¼ cup (42 g / 1.5 oz) finely crushed peppermint bits or candy canes
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, cornstarch, and salt into a medium bowl, ensuring a uniform, fine mixture that will contribute to the cookies’ delicate texture.
- Create Butter Base: Cream butter and powdered sugar using an electric mixer until light, smooth, and pale, eliminating any potential lumps and creating a fluffy foundation.
- Flavor Infusion: Blend peppermint extract into the butter mixture, introducing a cool, invigorating essence that will permeate the entire cookie.
- Combine Mixtures: Gently incorporate dry ingredients into the butter base on low speed, mixing until just combined to preserve the dough’s tender consistency.
- Chill and Prepare: Encase dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, allowing flavors to meld and the mixture to firm up; simultaneously, preheat oven to 350°F during the final 15 minutes of chilling.
- Shape and Arrange: Form chilled dough into small, consistent balls and position them 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet, providing ample space for expansion.
- Bake to Perfection: Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 10-13 minutes, monitoring until cookies develop a delicate golden brown base and achieve a set texture.
- Cool and Set: Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling, ensuring structural stability.
- Craft Frosting: Whip butter, half and half, peppermint extract, and powdered sugar until achieving a light, airy consistency that will beautifully complement the cookies.
- Finish and Garnish: Generously spread frosting over each cooled cookie, then immediately sprinkle crushed peppermint bits, allowing them to slightly embed into the soft surface.
- Store and Preserve: Transfer cookies to an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their exquisite texture and vibrant flavor profile.
Notes
- Chill Strategically: Refrigerate dough for exactly 1 hour to develop rich flavor and prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Texture Matters: Mix dry ingredients gently and minimally to keep cookies tender and prevent tough, dense results.
- Handle with Care: Use light touch when rolling dough balls to maintain their delicate structure and ensure uniform baking.
- Frosting Finesse: Apply peppermint frosting while cookies are completely cool to prevent melting and achieve perfect, smooth coverage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling time)
- Cook Time: 10-13 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 22
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg