Peppermint Cookie Balls

When people think of cookies, they often think about chocolate chips, oatmeal, or salted caramel. Although these are the most popular flavors, they’re not the only ones. You can further elevate your cookies by incorporating peppermint into the recipe with these Peppermint Cookie Balls.

Peppermints have a rather overpowering minty flavor that may not satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth. I decided to incorporate them into my cookie recipe to create this wonderfully cool treat. By doing this, I can subdue the potent taste of the mint with the sweetness and creaminess of the cookie dough. But what truly completes this dessert is my secret ingredient: turbinado sugar.

Unlike brown or white sugar, turbinado sugar is a raw and minimally-processed type of sweetener that retains some of the original molasses. Because of this, it gives the whole dessert a hint of earthiness and subtle caramel tones that ties everything together.

If for some reason, turbinado sugar is not available to you, you can substitute it for something else. Some of the options you can choose from include demerara sugar, muscovado sugar, maple sugar, or sanding sugar. Each of these options has a similar consistency and flavor profile as turbinado, which can ultimately help you achieve the same Peppermint Cookie Balls result.

Even though the sugar that you choose constitutes a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, I think that it can make all the difference. By paying attention to the simple ingredients, you can further elevate a rather simple cookie recipe to a whole new level, and I think it’s worth the effort.

And bonus tip for those of you who like to plan ahead: You can freeze the dough after rolling them into balls and save them to bake some other time.

Peppermint Cookie Balls

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Maximize your leftover peppermint candies or candy canes by turning them into Peppermint Cookie Balls that elevate your usual cookie flavor to a whole new level.

• Author: Addie Gundry
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Chill Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 24 cookies
• Category: Bakery

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 drops red food coloring
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely crushed peppermint candies (such as Starlight mints)
• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar

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Instructions

1. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and peppermint extracts, salt, and red food coloring; beat until well blended. Gradually add the flour and beat until thoroughly blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl, combine the crushed peppermint candies and turbinado sugar. Shape the chilled cookie dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball in the candy cane mixture. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. The cookies will spread slightly.
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Immediately remove to wire racks to cool completely. Serve.

Do you like peppermint cookies? Have you tried this recipe?