Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies (Print Version)
Chocolate cookies filled with cool peppermint cream—festive, rich, and ideal for gifting or holiday platters.
# What You Need:
→ Chocolate Cookie Dough
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Peppermint Cream Filling
09 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
12 - ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
13 - Pinch of salt
14 - A few drops of green or red food coloring (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the creamed butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
05 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly between your palms. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the cookies are set. Allow to rest on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
06 - In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sifted powdered sugar, heavy cream, peppermint extract, salt, and food coloring if desired. Beat on medium speed until the filling is light, fluffy, and spreadable.
07 - Spread or pipe approximately 1 tablespoon of peppermint filling onto the flat side of half the cooled cookies. Press the remaining cookies on top, flat side down, to form even sandwiches.
08 - Refrigerate the assembled sandwich cookies for 15 minutes to allow the filling to firm up before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast of deep, almost brownie-like chocolate cookies against that cool peppermint cream is the kind of flavor pairing that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.
- They look impossibly impressive stacked on a plate, but the whole process is surprisingly forgiving and genuinely fun.
02 -
- If the dough feels too soft to roll, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes and it will firm up beautifully without changing the texture of the baked cookie.
- Overbaking is the enemy here because these cookies rely on a slightly soft, chewy center to balance the sweet filling, so pull them from the oven the moment they look set.
03 -
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough so every sandwich matches perfectly and bakes evenly across the whole batch.
- Chill your mixing bowl and beaters before making the filling because cold equipment helps the butter whip up lighter and hold its shape longer.