These cookies are adapted from Sarah Kieffer’s recipe for Neopolitan Cookies in her outstanding new cookbook, 100 Cookies. I also love her previously published cookbook as well as and her website, Vanilla Bean Blog. I’m a huge fan of hers, so I highly recommend any and all of her recipes! I swapped the strawberry dough in her Neopolitan cookies for a red peppermint flavoured dough. The result is a really fun, vibrant sugar cookie that is soft and chewy and will be a stand-out on a plate of Christmas cookies!
Peppermint Ripple Sugar Cookies
Soft and chewy Christmas sugar cookies that are one part each of vanilla, chocolate, and pretty red peppermint.
Servings: 20 cookies
Ingredients
- 2½ cups plus 1 Tablespoon (364g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- red food colouring
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process or Black cocoa for darker colour)
- granulated sugar, raw sugar, clear sprinkles, or white sparkling sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Set the empty flour mixture bowl aside for use later.
- Scrape the dough out onto a clean counter and divide it in three equal portions. Put one portion back into the large bowl, add the peppermint extract and food colouring (a couple drops to start, adding enough to make the dough red), and blend on low speed until combined and dough is red.
- Put another portion of the dough in the empty flour bowl and add the cocoa powder. Mix on low speed until combined.
- Pinch off about 2 teaspoons (or 15 grams) of each dough and press them gently together so they stick but keep the colours distinct. Roll into a ball, then roll the ball in sugar or sprinkles.
- Place no more than 6 cookies on each prepared pan and bake one pan at a time. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are set (slightly firm) but centres are still very soft and puffed up. Remove from oven and let cool on pans for 10 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.