It’s just a few hours before the new year. It’s been a long year with a lot of change. As we close out the year it’s been a struggle. There has been light as well. There are potential new opportunities that I’ve hoped for. If that starts to work out then there are plans in the work to grow our reach. As hard as it is to hope and dream I am hoping and dreaming for big things in 2023.

I’ve been making an effort to produce more content and be more engaging. It’s a hard balance. I asked for recommendations on things to bake for people. This is one of those recommendations. I was immediately excited by it as it’s something I had wanted to do. Great minds and all of that.

When I made the Fudgy White Chocolate M&M cookies I thought they’d be a great base for these cookies. The first batch didn’t quite work out. There was a bit too much liquid. I guess I didn’t properly account for the extra liquid that was the espresso. Round two added some additional flour and they were spot on. The ground espresso and the brewed espresso shots give a hint of coffee flavor while boosting the chocolate. If you can find a great peppermint chocolate that’ll help enhance the flavor of the cookies. I prefer Chocolove. It ties so well with the peppermint extract, cocoa powder, and the espresso. Pop on a nice butter cream, crushed candy canes, and some chopped peppermint chocolate and you have perfection. Who needs a trip to the local cafe. I do. Who am I kidding. It’s an addiction. I’m a cookie monster and coffee fiend.

The buttercream frosting I used is just a standard buttercream. Nothing special. No vanilla or peppermint. I wanted the candy canes and peppermint dark chocolate to add that last bit of mint flavor. The standard butter cream is there to represent the whipped cream on a good peppermint mocha. The cookies stand perfectly by themselves, but the buttercream really takes them over the edge. The crunchy texture from the candy canes is a nice touch to counter the fudgyness of the cookie.

I had a blast making these cookies. Thank you so much for the inspiration. I hope you made them and enjoy what I created for you @box_of_peaches.

As we move into 2023 I will be setting intentions to help others, many other people. We have people who want to join us on the podcast and that’s exciting. Hopefully we can start to get more traction and engagement. I’d love to find a way to use this as my primary career. There are ideas swirling in my head. Let’s see what 2023 holds. Here’s to more growth, healing, and conversation over cookies.

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 Cup unsalted butter

• 1/2 Cup dark brown sugar - packed

• 1 Cup granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

• 2 shots espresso

• 2 1/4 Cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 Cup Dutch Processed Cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 Tablespoon finely ground espresso

• 2 3.2 oz 55% dark chocolate peppermint bars

Frosting:

• 3 peppermint candy canes

• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 Cups powdered sugar

• 2 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

Cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. cream the butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy. About 2-3 minutes

3. Mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing to combine

4. Add the vanilla, shots of espresso, and peppermint extract and mix

5. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, ground espresso, salt, and baking powder and whisk to combine

6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two batches and mix

7. Chop the chocolate

8. Add the chocolate to the dough and combine

9. Scoop the dough in 2 Tablespoon portions onto cookie sheets

10. bake for 12 minutes

11. Cool on the sheet for 2-3 minutes and then move to a cooling rack

Frosting:

1. Combine the butter, powdered sugar, and milk and mix until smooth

2. Crush the candy canes in a bag

3. Top the cookies with the frosting

4. Sprinkle on the crushed candy canes

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