One of the signs to keep watch of when winter approaches is the (dangerous) mounds of chocolates you’ll encounter everywhere you go. You either get them as presents or you buy them for yourself or your loved ones. Yet, it’s ALSO the time of the year to indulge and not worry too too much about getting fat. I mean, you can worry about that as your New Years resolution, right?

As I grew older, I realized my tastebuds are slowly changing. They are more sensitive towards tasting sweet things than when I was a kid. I started turning from milk chocolate to dark chocolate. That’s why I made sure this recipe wasn’t too sweet, but still has that perfect chocolate touch to it. These are what perfect cookies should be – crispy on the edges but soft and chewy on the inside. If you aren’t a big fan of peppermint, I would advise you to leave the candy cane bits out. They are mainly there for a pretty appeal and decoration for the holidays. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Yield: 12 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 candy cane, finely crushed (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fully incorporated.
3. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well until light and fluffy.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Use a whisk to gently mix these dry ingredients together.
5. Add quarter portions of dry mixture into wet mixture. Keep mixing until well incorporated.
6. Mix in chocolate chips by hand with a wooden spoon.
7. Chill dough in fridge for 15 minutes.
8. Scoop around 2 tbsp of dough onto parchment paper, leaving each ball around 2 inches apart.
9. Lightly press down each cookie ball with your three inside fingers. Add more chocolate chips on top if desired.
10. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
11. Once they are out of the oven, sprinkle crushed candy canes onto cookies (press it down a little to make sure it is sticking to the cookie).
12. Let it cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
13. Serve and enjoy!

Adapted from Minimalist Baker