Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

Cookie Dough Base

90 g unsalted butter (6 ⅓ tbsp.)
100 g dark brown sugar* (½ c.)
50 g granulated sugar (¼ c.)
1 egg room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla

Vanilla Cookie Dough

80 g all-purpose flour (⅔ c.)
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
85 g semi-sweet chocolate** (½ c.)

Chocolate Cookie Dough

68 g all purpose flour (½ c. + 1 tbsp.)
12 g dutch-processed cocoa powder (2 tbsp.)
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
85 g peppermint white chocolate such as ghirardelli's peppermint bark (½ c.)

Instructions

Cookie Dough Base

Add the butter to a small microwave-safe mixing bowl. Melt in 20-second intervals until the butter has fully melted.
Whisk in both sugars, then whisk in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
Transfer ½ of the cookie dough base out into another small mixing bowl (~145g).

Vanilla Cookie Dough

To one of the halves of cookie dough base, add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together just until a few flour streaks remain.
Chop up the semi-sweet chocolate and add it into the vanilla cookie dough. Fold the mixture together just until no flour streaks remain.

Chocolate Cookie Dough

To the other half of cookie dough base, add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together just until a few flour streaks remain.
Chop up the peppermint white chocolate and add it into the chocolate cookie dough. Fold the mixture together just until no flour streaks remain.
Cover both of the dough bowls with plastic wrap and place them into the fridge for 15 minutes.
After the dough has had a quick chill, scoop out 1.5 tbsp. scoops of each of the doughs.
Use a knife or your hands to split each ball of cookie dough in half.
Alternate adding each half ball of flavor to your hand, for a total of four pieces of dough. Roll the dough into a ball, and repeat with the remaining cookie dough. (For more uniform balls of dough, you can gently press each cookie dough ball into a 3 tbsp. cookie scoop after marblign the doughs together).
Cover the dough balls and place them in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
Evenly space out the cookie dough balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and top them with extra chocolate and white chocolate.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to turn golden brown.
Once the cookies come out of the oven, I recommend "scooting" them. This just means take a bowl, cup, or biscuit cutter that is slightly larger than the cookie, place it on top of the cookie, and swirl the bowl around to make the cookie a little more round.
Let the cookies sit on the hot baking tray for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, serve and enjoy!

Notes

The #1 culprit for cookies that are too thick, puffy or dry is adding in too much flour. I highly, *highly* recommend always using a kitchen scale for the best, most consistent results. However - if you don't have access to one, here is how to properly measure flour: Fluff up your flour with a fork, then carefully scoop it into your measuring cup and level off the cup with a knife.

*I recommend dark brown sugar for the best flavor but light brown sugar will work in a pinch!

***I recommend using a chocolate baking bar so you can get those melty pools of chocolate, but chocolate chips will work here too.

Nutrition