Jamie Magazine
By Anna Jones
Chocolate candy cane cookies
1 hr 10 mins
Not Too Tricky
makes 50
About the recipe
Minty chocolate cookies speckled with crushed candy canes make tempting tree ornaments – you'll just have to hope there'll be some left on Christmas Day!
Recipe From
Ingredients
125g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
250g unrefined light brown sugar
1 large free-range egg
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
50g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
150g wholemeal flour
60g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2-3 candy canes
CHOCOLATE ICING
100g icing sugar
50g cocoa powder
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat the egg and stir into the mixture with the peppermint extract, cocoa powder and a tiny pinch of sea salt, mixing until the cocoa is integrated and the batter is smooth and creamy, with the consistency of thick icing.
- Add the baking powder and flours, and mix until the batter comes together (don't worry if it’s slightly crumbly).
- Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead it just once or twice to bring it together.
- Split it in half, flatten each piece into 2½cm-thick discs, then wrap them both in clingfilm. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Once cool, unwrap the dough onto a well-floured surface and roll it out very thin (about 2½mm thick).
- Using a 6cm round cutter, stamp out the cookies. You can make them bigger or smaller if you like – you’ll just need to watch the cooking time.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking trays and use a skewer to pierce little holes at the top for threading the ribbon.
- Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until firm.
- Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- Make the icing by sifting the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl, then gradually add a few drops of hot water until you have a smooth but thick consistency.
- When the cookies have completely cooled, slather them with a little icing and top with the crushed-up candy canes.
- Once the icing is set, thread with ribbon and hang from the tree. These will keep for 1 to 2 weeks.
Tags
