Easy Winter Wonderland Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Easy Winter Wonderland Chocolate Chip cookies are a festive twist on classic chocolate chip cookies, featuring a buttery crust loaded with semi-sweet and white chocolate chips, accented by crushed peppermint candies for a refreshing holiday sparkle. These cookies are perfect for winter celebrations and simple to make with a straightforward baking process.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This creates the base texture for the cookies.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract to add flavor.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and seasoning.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet: Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined to avoid overworking the dough and creating tough cookies.
- Fold in chips and peppermint candies: Gently fold in both the semi-sweet and white chocolate chips along with the crushed peppermint candies to evenly disperse the delightful flavors and textures throughout the dough.
- Shape and space dough balls: Drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Bake cookies: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, indicating they are perfectly baked.
- Cool cookies: Once baked, let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely, which helps maintain their chewy texture.
Notes
- For peppermint candies, crushed candy canes work well and add festive flavor.
- Do not overmix the dough once flour is added to keep cookies tender.
- You can refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before baking to help control spreading.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days for optimal freshness.
Keywords: winter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, peppermint candy cookies, holiday cookies, festive cookies
