This is as good as it gets. I should end on a good note and stop making cookies.
JK that will never happen.
While you're busy writing your Christmas list and worrying about what to get everyone, just know that these cookies are at the top of Santa's list. I've got you covered.
They're so easy to make and you'll look like a pro. Plus you can make some hot cocoa with bailey's to enjoy while you're making these! Drink responsibly friends.
If you like peppermint schnapps and Bailey's Irish Cream then these cookies will be your absolute favorite.
Sometimes when I start working on a recipe I know where its going to end up. With these I had a vague idea but they came together as I was making them. Bailey's icing was a last minute call. I knew I had peppermint extract and a bag of crushed peppermint so I really was just planning on making peppermint cookies.
These turned out tremendously better than I originally had planned. I could not be any happier about these.
You may notice there are two different sizes of cookies. The larger ones were my first batch. The smaller ones came second. Its all the same dough!!! Let me make that clear. The first batch sat in the freezer 20 minutes then I rolled out dough and cut out circles. I then rolled the rest of the dough into a log and set it back in the freezer. So the second batch was probably in the freezer for an hour. Then I just cut slices from the log of dough and baked. The second batch spread much more than the first and weren't consistently sized. I used my cookie cutter (the top of a wine glass) and cut out the center of each cookie so they were the same size for sandwiching purposes!
Moral of the story: same dough can turn out differently based on freezer time/ how its cut. ALSO both cookies were equally fantastic and yummy. I had even more dough leftover that I ended up using 5 days later and it was still just as good.
Okay this is what you came for:
Ingredients:
1.5 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 large egg
4 oz cream cheese, room temp
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 shot Bailey's Irish Cream
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cream cheese
Other:
1 cup broken peppermint pieces
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add sugar and butter to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Beat until combined and fluffy. Then add cream cheese and beat again. Add in egg, peppermint, and vanilla, mix until homogenous.
In a separate mixing bowl, sift flour, baking soda and baking powder.
Slowly add dry ingredients to your wet ingredients, constantly mixing until fully combined.
Let the dough sit in your freezer for 20 minutes
Roll the dough out into a sheet about 1 cm thick and cut out circles with a cookie cutter or the top of a narrow wine glass.
Bake for 12 minutes then remove from the baking sheet so they stop cooking. Repeat until dough is gone.
For the frosting, combine all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and beat until fully combined and fluffy. Add icing to a plastic bag.
Cut the corner of your plastic bag and use it to pipe frosting onto the bottom side of half of the cookies. Sandwich the frosting with another cookie. Use more frosting to line the edge in between the two cookies so more peppermint will stick.
Add 1 cup of broken peppermint to a plate and roll each cookie through to coat the sides.
Freezing for later use:
Roll dough into a log and wrap with plastic wrap. When you're ready to make cookies, preheat the oven and prepare icing. Cut 1cm slices from the log and add to a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook 12-14 minutes (takes longer because they're frozen).
Use a cookie cutter or narrow wine glass to cut out the finished cookies so they are all the same size.
Repeat same frosting instructions from above.
Happy holidays everyone! These cookies are perfect for all holiday and winter celebrations, not only Christmas. Enjoy.
xoxo, Anna
PS, let me know if you make these! Either comment here or share with me on instagram @honeyibaked