Peppermint Mocha Cookies

The holidays are upon us and what better way to celebrate than with some festive peppermint mocha cookies drizzled in white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes!

I absolutely LOVE peppermint bark! It’s the one seasonal treat I look forward to most. I can never get enough of that peppermint and chocolate combination. These cookies give you that peppermint and chocolate combo, but in fudgey chocolate form!

Prep Time: 4 hours (including chill time)

Bake Time: 10-12 minutes

Total Time: ~ 4 hours & 15 mins

Yield: Makes 18-22 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 1 large egg, at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder (I use Trader Joe’s cocoa powder; do not use Dutch processed cocoa powder for this recipe)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use a combination of mini and regular size)

• 8 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped OR vanilla candy melts

• candy canes, crushed (for sprinkling)
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color.
   

2. Beat in the egg, vanilla and peppermint extracts on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
   

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, instant coffee granules, and salt together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until just combined. Be sure not to overmix. The cookie dough will be quite thick.

4. Using a rubber spatula, gently mix in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be sticky. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 and a half hours. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough as it will be too wet to form dough balls without chilling. I like to chill mine overnight.

5. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 -30 minutes as this will make the cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.

6. Preheat oven to 350°F for a standard oven. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

7. Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1.5 generous Tablespoons of dough each, into balls and place onto the baking sheets.

8. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes. The baked cookies will look a bit soft in the centers when you remove them from the oven and that’s okay. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

9. Melt the white chocolate or vanilla candy melts in a double boiler or use the microwave. For the microwave, place the white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 15 second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Dip each completely cooled cookie halfway into the white candy melts and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of the melted candy melts. You can also drizzle the “chocolate“ onto the cookies if you don’t want the dipped look or if dipping gives you too much chocolate to cookie ratio. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies and enjoy! Note: I like to use vanilla candy melts as they set and harden relatively quickly. If using white chocolate, you can place the cookies in the refrigerator to chill until the white chocolate sets.

Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nothing beats a good ol’ classic chocolate chip cookie, am I right? But sometimes, it’s fun to take it up a notch and matcha-fy it! Enter, these white chocolate chip matcha cookies.

These cookies are made with melted butter ensuring a soft and chewy center with slightly crisp edges, and plenty of white chocolate chips - just the way I like it!

They're amazing by themselves, but feel free to dress them up as you like! I decided to top mine off with a white chocolate drizzle and some green tea Kit Kat pieces because I've been missing Japan lately, but feel free to get creative and have fun with it!

Prep Time: 90 minutes (including chill time)

Bake Time: 10-12 minutes

Total Time: ~ 1 hour and 40 minutes

Yield: Makes 12-14 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 1 & 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon Matcha green tea powder (I use Maeda-en's Universal grade matcha powder)

• 1 cup white chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place butter in a heatproof bowl and warm in the microwave until JUST melted. You don’t want the butter to be hot, but just soft enough to stir with a fork until smooth.

2. Add granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla and egg and stir until smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, sift 1 tablespoon of matcha green tea powder into the all-purpose flour. Add baking soda and salt and whisk the dry mixture thoroughly.

4. Add flour mixture to your wet ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula until a soft cookie dough forms. Add white chocolate chips and stir until combined.

5. Chill cookie dough in the fridge for at least one hour. I actually like to make mine the night before and let it chill overnight, but a one hour chill time is perfectly fine too!

6. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 F for a standard oven.

7. Roll balls of cookie dough, approximately 2 tablespoons each, using your hands and place on prepared baking trays, leaving room for the cookie to spread.

8. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.

9. Allow cookies to cool for 10-15 minutes then enjoy!

Black Sesame Crumb Cake

A moist and fluffy cake topped with a crunchy black sesame streusel makes this the perfect breakfast treat or afternoon pick me up!

Coffee cake (aka crumb cake) is one of my favorite breakfast treats! Any time I find myself at a bakery or coffee shop that sells it, I HAVE to get it. It’s not even a question.

Black sesame anything is also my favorite so naturally, I had to put the two together and make this black sesame crumb cake! This cake makes 16 servings or 9 more generously sized portions, but before the day had even ended, all of the portions were gone (with the help of my husband and mom) ... whoops! 😅

If you’re unlike me and actually know how to exercise self-control, and not eat all of the cake in one day, you can certainly freeze the cake for another day! This cake freezes well so I would suggest placing any leftover black sesame cake in the freezer in an airtight container the day of baking if you know you will not be eating it all that same day. This cake is best served warm so when you have a hankering for some, just take it directly from the freezer and heat it in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds and enjoy!

TIPS:

• Be sure to measure your flour using the spoon and level method to avoid using too much flour.

• Black sesame powder can be found in many Asian markets however, I like to make my own by grinding whole roasted black sesame seeds in a blender or food processor. Pulse the seeds until it is a fine powder. There may be some clumps in your powder which is completely normal as this is just the natural oils from the seeds. Be sure to buy black sesame seeds that are already roasted, or feel free to roast them yourself if not.

• Be sure your butter, eggs and sour cream are all room temperature.

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Bake Time: 45-50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 35 minutes

Yield: Makes 16 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the Black Sesame Streusel Topping:

• 1/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

• 1/3 granulated sugar

• 6 tablespoons black sesame powder (I finely ground roasted black sesame in a food processor or blender)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the Black Sesame Ribbon:

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1/4 cup black sesame (I finely ground roasted black sesame in a food processor or blender)

For the Cake:

• 2 & 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 2 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

• Dusting of confectioner's sugar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, make the crumb topping by combining the brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground black sesame, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter using a fork, then add the flour. Mix until crumbly looking and set aside.

2. Second, make the black sesame ribbon by combining the granulated sugar with ground black sesame in a small bowl until well mixed. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F for standard oven. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper.

4. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

5. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl If using an electric hand mixer. Mix until light and fluffy then add the brown sugar and mix on high.

6. Pour in the vanilla extract, then add the eggs one at a time while mixing on low.

7. Scrape the bowl down then add the sour cream and mix until combined.

8. Add the dry flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix until just combined using a spatula. Using the same spatula, scrape down the bowl and mix any stray bits of flour in, but be sure not to over-mix.

9. Pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the cake batter to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle the black sesame filling on top in order to make the ribbon in the middle of the cake.

10. Spread the remaining batter over the black sesame filling moving from the center to the edges.

11. Top with the black sesame streusel mixture and bake at 350 F for about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before cutting. Dust with confectioner's sugar if desired.

12. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Preppy Kitchen.