Do you think Santa worries about his breath on Christmas Eve? After all, it's a special night and Mrs. Santa will expect a kiss under the mistletoe. Help Santa out, bake him a pepperminty cookie!

Scroll down and you'll see many scrumptious recipes from members of the Creative Cookie Exchange. The mighty peppermint was proclaimed as the star flavor by creators of the monthly Creative Cookie Exchange, Rebecka of At Home with Rebecka and Laura of The Spiced Life.

Chocolate cookies kissed by candy cane Hersheys.

Next to the carrots for Rudolph, I'm offering Santa chocolate peppermint cookies inspired by Bakerella (the queen and originator of cake pops.) I riffed on one of Bakerella's latest blog recipes entitled Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. The result? Pops of peppermint chocolate colliding with fudgy cookies. I do believe Santa Claus (and Mrs. Santa!) will be quite pleased if you pile a stack of chocolate peppermint cookies on a plate next to a glass of milk.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Fudgy goodness popping with peppermint and topped with candy cane kisses.

The cookies are inspired by Bakerella's Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies.

Ingredients:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
½ cup softened butter
1½ sugar
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup York peppermint pieces
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
24 Hershey’s candy cane kisses

Directions:

Whisk the flour, cocoa, soda, salt and espresso powder together in one bowl.

With the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Drop the eggs in one at a time. Mix in the vanilla.

Slowly pour in the flour blend to the butter / eggs / sugar bowl.

Gently incorporate the York peppermint pieces and chocolate chips into the mix.

Refrigerate the dough for half an hour.

Roll the cooled dough into mini balls. (I used a mini ice cream scooper.)

Bake on parchment lined cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

As soon as the cookies emerge from the oven, press an unwrapped Hershey candy cane kiss in the center of each one. If possible, cool before eating.

To join in the fun, just complete the steps below:

1. Write a blog post with recipe and original photo. The theme this month is peppermint! We would like the recipe to be one you’re making for the first time, and photos must be original.
2. Post the Cookie Exchange badge somewhere on your blog so others can join in the fun:

3. Make a good faith effort to visit and comment on the other cookies in the Linky party. We all love cookies so that should be easy!
4. LIKE the Creative Cookie Exchange Facebook Page
5. FOLLOW the Creative Cookie Exchange Pinterest Board:
6. LINK your blog post below using the Linky tool

You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes--be sure to check out our Facebook page, our Pinterest Board, and our monthly posts. You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration for this month's theme, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made so far:

Chocolate Peppermint and chocolate Chip Cookies from Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies from Kim at Ninja Baking
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookiess from Holly at A Baker’s House
Cocoa Peppermint Cookie Bark from Laura at The Spiced Life
Mint Chocolate Cookies from Jill at Made with Love
Peppermint Bark Shortbread from Stacy at Food Lust People Love
Peppermint Dark Chocolate Drizzled Coconut Macaroons from Felice at All That’s Left Are the Crumbs
Peppermint French Macarons from Miranda at Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
Peppermint Mocha Cookies from Sophia at If I Ever Owned a Bakery

Wishing you minty kisses under the mistletoe.

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

chocolate peppermint cookies

recipes

Bakerella-inspired

#Creative Cookie Exchange

The Ninja Baker - Bakerella-inspired

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, #Creative Cookie Exchange

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies