The Lean Green Bean: Chocolate & Peppermint Bark Cookies

Hi Friends!

This was my first attempt at a "new" cookie this holiday season. I had never made these before but I came across them and they looked too good not to try. The original recipe can be found here and at Bon Appetit.

Here's what you need:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used a combination of dark chocolate hershey kisses and semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/2 cup finely chopped red & white candies or candy canes (about 3 ounces)
2 oz. high-quality white chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment, letting it hang over the sides of the pan.(A silpat would also work just fine)

In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue to beat for an additional 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract and egg yolk. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually beat in the flour mixture, until just combined. Do not overmix.

Scatter the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and gently press it, with slightly moistened fingers, to form a flat layer. Prick all over with a fork. (Try as I might...I couldn't get the dough to fill the whole pan. So I did my best.

Bake the cookie layer until golden brown and slightly puffed, and edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25-30 minutes. (Mine only took about 20 minutes)

Place on a cookie rack and immediately sprinkle chopped bittersweet or semisweet (or a combination of the two) over the cookie layer. Let the chocolate sit for about 3 minutes.

Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into an even layer over the surface of the cookies. Immediately sprinkle 3 ounces crushed red and white peppermint candies, or candy canes, over the chocolate layer.

Melt the white chocolate and using a fork, drizzle the white chocolate over the peppermint candies. Chill for approximately 30 minutes.

Gripping the overhanging parchment paper, lift the cookies out of the pan and place on a work surface. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the cookies into irregular pieces. This can be stored in an airtight container in a refrigerator for one week.

These are definitely on my make again list! SO GOOD!!!

Using these, some buckeyes, chocolate chip cookies and snickers surprise cookies, I made my in-laws the first cookie plate of the season for their anniversary!

As I was cleaning up from the cookies, I saw these on the counter and decided they needed to be turned into some bread:

I used this recipe because it was quick, easy and didn't require a mixer! The muffins turned out great. I left them in the fridge as another treat for in-laws :)