Holiday chocolate chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate cookies, yum. Chocolate chocolate chip cookies, really yum. Chocolate chocolate chip peppermint cookies, shut your mouth! Dark chocolate cookies, delicate minty flavor, creamy chips, could this BE more holiday?? Its seasonal baking at its finest.

Please note that the Kitchen Witch has a massive cookie problem, and holiday time is just an excuse to make an excessive amount of baked goodness, not to mention candies like homemade caramels, chocolate dipped pretzels and butter almond toffy. Enough confessions - on to the cookies!

Holiday chocolate chocolate chip cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t peppermint extract
2 1/2 c AP flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 c cocoa **SEE NOTE
12 candy canes smashed, 1/2 c for cookies, remaining for topping
1 c chocolate chips




Cream butter. Add sugar, cream until light & fluffy. Add eggs, peppermint extract and vanilla, mix well.



Sift cocoa powder(s) with flour, salt & soda. Add dry ingredients in 3 installments, scraping down sides as you go. Add candy canes and chocolate chips, mix until evenly distributed.



Scoop with small cookie scoop, 1T approx, and top each with 1/4 t crushed candy canes.




Bake at 350* for 11 minutes. Allow to cool on sheet tray for 2 min before removing to cooling rack.



**Cocoa powder note: I use 1/4 c King Arthur Black Cocoa powder and 1/4 c standard cocoa powder in this recipe. The black cocoa really gives the cookies a deep dark color and intense chocolate flavor. Please take a look at the color difference, you can really see how intense the black cocoa is compared to the standard dutch process cocoa. Last I checked this wonderful ingredient was about $7 for a pound. I've had mine for about a year & its just now time to replenish my supply, and I use this stuff in everything that calls for cocoa powder. I highly recommend trying this if you like dark chocolate.