Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Blossom Cookies
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
If a thick, chewy chocolate cookie rolled in sparkling sugar and topped with a Hershey’s Hug doesn’t say Christmas, I don’t know what does! These chocolate peppermint blossom cookies have soft centers, lightly crisp edges and just enough peppermint to make them feel festive without taking over. A little espresso powder makes the cocoa taste even richer, while chilling the dough helps the cookies bake up nice and puffy. They’re cute, delicious and surprisingly simple to make—which is my kind of Christmas Cookie!
These Cookies Were So Good
I originally made these cookies in the fall, before I could find peppermint Kisses at the store. I didn’t have any regular Hershey’s Hugs at home either, so I baked them without the candy in the middle and brought them a friend’s lake house.
Everyone loved them. They were chewy in the center, a little crisp around the outside from the sugar and just really good. I knew then that I wanted to turn them into a Christmas cookie.
The chocolate cookie was already there. It just needed a little peppermint and a pretty Hershey’s Hug in the middle to make it feel more festive.
I did test the recipe one more time because I wanted to make sure chilling the dough really mattered. It did. The cookies baked up thicker, and the chocolate flavor was noticeably better after the dough had chilled overnight.
Chilling Cookie Dough Is the Trick
A lot of people don’t realize that one of the secrets to making really good cookies is giving the dough time to chill. It’s what makes my chocolate chip cookies so good.
It’s kind of like marinating meat. The cookie dough sits overnight, the ingredients have time to settle into one another and the flavor becomes that much better. Chilling also firms up the butter, which helps the cookies spread less and bake up thicker and puffier.
You can bake these without chilling if you’re in a hurry. I tested them that way, and they still turned out. I just preferred the chilled batch.
At least 2 hours will work, but overnight is even better. You can also keep the dough covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours, so it’s a great recipe to start one day and finish the next.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Blossom Cookies
Let’s Talk About Peppermint
Some people love chocolate and peppermint together. Other people are like, eh, no thanks.
If you love it, use the peppermint extract and top the cookies with peppermint Kisses. The peppermint flavor in the dough is subtle, so these don’t taste overly minty. You still taste the chocolate first.
If you only want a little peppermint, use the extract in the dough and top the cookies with regular Hershey’s Hugs. That is probably my favorite balance.
And if you don’t like peppermint at all, just leave it out! You’ll have a really good chocolate blossom cookie that still feels festive with sparkling sugar and a striped Hug in the middle.
If you’re someone who does love chocolate and mint, my Andes chocolate mint cookies have a little more mint flavor and pockets of Andes chocolate throughout. They’re outstanding!
Espresso Powder Makes the Chocolate Better
Yes, it’s true. It does make chocolate taste richer. However, the espresso powder is optional, but I really like it in this recipe. It deepens the cocoa flavor and makes the cookies taste more chocolatey without making them taste like coffee.
If you don’t have espresso powder, you can use finely crushed instant coffee granules. Just make sure you’re using instant coffee and not regular coffee grounds. Regular grounds won’t dissolve and may leave the cookies gritty.
Nine Minutes Was Just Right
I tested the cookies at 8 minutes, and the centers seemed a little too underdone. Nine minutes was perfect in my oven.
They should look puffed and set around the edges but still soft in the middle. Don’t wait for the centers to look completely firm. The cookies will continue to bake and set as they sit on the hot pan.
I would rather have these be slightly underbaked than overbaked. That’s how you keep the centers soft and chewy.
After the cookies have rested for about a minute, gently press the Hugs or Kisses into the centers. The chocolate will soften from the heat, so leave the cookies alone until it firms back up. Don’t try to stack them too soon or the tops will smear.
Make the Dough Ahead
These are a great make-ahead Christmas cookie because the dough can stay in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. I actually recommend making it ahead because the extra chilling time improves the flavor.
You can also freeze the portioned dough. Roll it into 1-tablespoon balls and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once they’re firm, transfer them to a freezer bag.
When you’re ready to bake, let the dough balls sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, roll them in sparkling sugar and bake them from frozen. They may need an extra minute or two in the oven.
This makes it easy to bake a fresh batch when you need cookies for a party, a cookie exchange or one of those school events you find out about at the last minute.
Put These on Your Christmas Cookie List
If you have a cookie exchange coming up, you’re in charge of dessert or you simply love spending an afternoon baking Christmas cookies, this is the one to make. They look so pretty on a cookie tray, travel well and have that chocolate-peppermint flavor that just feels like Christmas.
They would look so pretty on a cookie tray with my chewy chocolate crinkle cookies or gingerbread cookie bars with vanilla icing. If you like the combination of soft chocolate cookies and candy, my chocolate caramel sugar cookies are another chewy chocolate cookie to make around the holidays.
If you make them, leave a comment and let me know what you used in the middle—Hugs, chocolate Kisses or peppermint Kisses. I would love to hear how they turned out!
Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Blossom Cookies
If a thick, chewy chocolate cookie rolled in sparkling sugar and topped with a creamy Hershey’s Hug doesn’t say Christmas, I don’t know what does. These chocolate peppermint blossom cookies have soft centers, lightly crisp edges and just enough peppermint to make them feel festive without overpowering the chocolate.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to a cool room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract, optional
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s or Hershey's Dark Cocoa
- 3/4 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup coarse sanding sugar, for rolling
- 35 Hershey’s Hugs, Kisses or Peppermint Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper. Unwrap 35 Hershey’s Hugs and set them aside.
- Add ¾ cup softened unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar and ½ cup packed light brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until creamy and well combined.
- Add 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon instant espresso powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until a thick chocolate dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
- Scoop the dough into 1-tablespoon portions (a cookie dough scooper it helpful for this) and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet or plate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Chilling helps the cookies bake up thicker and also enhances their flavor.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place ⅓ cup coarse sanding sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Roll each chilled dough ball in the sanding sugar and arrange them approximately 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Keep any dough you are not currently baking refrigerated.
- Bake one pan at a time for 9 minutes. The cookies should look puffed and set around the edges but still soft in the centers.
- Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 1 minute. Gently press one Hershey’s Hug into the center of each cookie, pressing only until the cookie cracks slightly around the edges.
- Leave the cookies undisturbed on the baking sheet for approximately 10 minutes. Carefully transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before storing so the chocolate centers can firm up.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
35Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 115Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 60mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.
