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Step into a winder wonderland with our winter bliss peppermint white chocolate chip cookies. This delightful recipe transforms the classic chocolate chip cookie into a festive treat. Packed with white chocolate chips, infused with crushed peppermint, and each cookie harboring a hidden center of Godiva white chocolate peppermint candy (holy amazing!), these cookies are a holiday marvel, perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, or a cozy night in.
I love putting a seasonal spin on tradition recipes. As I started baking more and more, I realized there’s a big base of my treats I can alter just a bit, to transform it into a holiday option. You’re closer than you think to doing the same thing, if you aren’t already.
The idea for these cookies was born from the classic holiday flavors of peppermint and white chocolate. By adding a luxurious touch of the Godiva candies, I aimed to create not just a cookie, but an experience that encapsulates the joy and warmth of the holiday season. Even people who don’t love peppermint have enjoyed these ones. They’re just too good to deny.
The Chemistry of Cookies
The success of these cookies lies in the balance of flavors and textures. The combination of unsalted butter and shortening in the dough creates a perfect texture, offering both the rich flavor of butter and the stable structure from shortening. Brown sugar adds moisture and a deep flavor, while granulated sugar provides sweetness and helps in creating a crisp edge. The white chocolate chips and peppermint add a festive flavor and delightful crunch. The real surprise is the Godiva white chocolate peppermint candy in the center, melting into a creamy, minty heart that contrasts beautifully with the cookies texture.
Why refrigerate the dough before baking?
Refrigerating the dough allows the flavors to meld and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, resulting in a thicker, more flavorful cookie. Nothing better than a thick cookie with a lightly crunchy exterior and a dense soft middle.
Can these cookies be frozen for later?
Yes, you can freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months. If you want to bake them frozen, you’ll probably want to add one or two minutes to the baking time. I’d recommend just keeping your eye on the oven at the end of the regular bake time, so you can determine whether or not to add the extra time. My experience has been to add the two minutes.
How do you ensure the cookies are soft and chewy?
The key is not to over bake them. Remove the cookies from the oven when they are just set and let them cool on the baking sheet, which allows them to finish cookie without becoming hard. Sometimes when cookies seem slightly under-cooked, it’s really that they need a touch more of the finishing cook by sitting on the cookie sheet post bake. If this is new to you, give it a try and tell me what you think.
Why use both butter and shortening in the recipe?
Butter provides flavor, while shortening helps the cookies maintain their shape and offers a softer texture. This combination results in a cookie that is both flavorful and has the perfect texture.
What is in peppermint white chocolate chip cookies?
All-purpose Flour
Builds structure as it absorbs liquids and expands. All-purpose flour falls in the middle of bread flour (high in gluten) and cake flour (low in gluten). It’s exactly what it is named, all-purpose, the most universal flour that can be used in most baked goods.
Baking Soda
Elevates the pH level of your batter or dough. It increases the spread in your treat and encourages browning, which gives the crispy outside and soft inside texture that everyone loves. Baking soda needs both an acid and a liquid to react. Things that will activate your baking soda are: vinegar, fruit juice, molasses, brown sugar, tartar, buttermilk and sour cream. Baking soda only reacts once, which is right when it’s mixed into your batter or dough. The soda creates little air bubbles all throughout your treat. When the air bubbles get heated up in the oven, they expand.
Fine Sea Salt
Enhances flavor, adds balance, masks any bitter flavors. Salt is the most powerful and oldest preservative. Always make sure to use fine sea salt so it melts down at the right speed in the heat of the oven. If you use larger granule salt, it will not melt down fully when baked and will leave salt crystals throughout your treat, making it crunch like you dropped it into sand. All of my favorite salts are from Redmond and I have a discount code for you to get 15% off.
Unsalted Butter
It is always important to use unsalted butter when baking. If you use salted butter, you have no way of knowing how much salt you are adding to your dough or batter and it will result in an overly salted treat.
Butter adds fats to your dough or batter which helps with moistness, flavor and texture. Butter melts at body temperature, which creates a ‘melt in your mouth’ sensation.
When baking with butter, the temperature is important. If the butter is too warm, your treat will melt too fast and overspread in the oven, leaving you with a greasy, flat mess. If your butter is too cold, it will have the opposite problem and not melt down enough, leaving your treat too thick.
Shortening
Being 100% fat, it provides a flakier texture and prevents spreading because it does not melt down in the oven.
Granulated Sugar
Adds sweetness, provides a caramelized flavor and crisp texture. Sugar assists with rising when creamed with butter. It helps add moisture to your treat and helps it evenly spread as it melts into a liquid in the heat of the oven. Sugar also helps with naturally preserving your baked treat.
Brown Sugar
Is granulated sugar with a little molasses mixed in. Molasses is a somewhat smoky flavored natural sweetener, which makes brown sugar a bit sweeter than granulated sugar. Brown sugar draws more moisture into your treat, keeping it softer for longer. It’s also more acidic, which means it will help activate your baking soda.
Eggs
Adds both a protein (egg whites) and fat (egg yolks). The egg whites help with rising because, when foamed, little air pockets get trapped inside the egg white mixture. The water content in egg whites encourages steam while baking, which helps with gluten formation, resulting in nice and thick treats. Egg yolks have emulsifying properties that bring batters and doughs together and help them from collapsing. Unless otherwise specified, always use large eggs.
Vanilla Extract
When using pure vanilla extract, as opposed to imitation flavoring, it will add the deep rich flavor that everybody wants in a treat.
White Chocolate Chips
Made of milk, sugar and cocoa butter. No actual cocoa solids are used in white chocolate. White chocolate is sweeter than milk or dark chocolate.
Crushed Peppermint
Introduces a minty fresh flavor and crunchy texture
Godiva White Chocolate Peppermint Candies
Adds a luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth center.
How to store peppermint white chocolate chip cookies
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can freeze the unbaked dough balls or the baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Can you make these cookies ahead of time?
The cookie dough can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking. This enhances the flavor and texture of the cookie with the extra time to rest, letting flavors meld in the fridge.
Why you should make these cookies
These cookies are perfect for the winter holiday season, especially for Christmas, New Year’s celebrations, or any festive gatherings. They’re also great for cookie exchanges and as thoughtful homemade gifts.
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Peppermint White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 bag white chocolate chips
- 1 cup crushed peppermint
- 24 Godiva white chocolate peppermint candies
Instructions
- In a standing mixer, mix your butter, shortening & sugars
- Once combined, whip the sugar mixture on high for 1-2 minutes until lighter in color and texture
- Stir in eggs & vanilla. Be sure to not over mix.
- Pour in flour, soda & salt
- Mix until the dough comes together & then stop
- Fold in white chocolate chips & peppermint
- Cover bowl & place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest (this can be skipped, but totally enhances your cookie, so I don't recommend it)
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Scoop cookie dough with a cookie scoop onto a light metal cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
- Smash each cookie dough ball and place the Godiva chocolate in the middle. Fold the sides of the dough around the candy until it is totally covered.
- Bake for 8 minutes
- Remove cookies and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes
- Transfer cookies off of the cookie sheet and enjoy
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
I’d love to see it! Follow @_mrs.madi_ on Instagram and tag your photos with #mrsmadi.
RENZO VIGO
I was fortunate enough to try this recipe right before Christmas. I am normally not a peppermint guy, but the white chocolate perfectly compliments it in this recipe. Definitely recommend you try this out!
Madison Reid
Thank you so much!
Jason Reese
Wow, these cookies are perfect for the holidays! A very nice change up from your standard chocolate chip cookies that we all make and eat year-round. I highly recommend this recipe!
Madison Reid
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review.