Looking for a cookie that will really impress? Everyone will love these Striped Chocolate Cookies made with a touch of peppermint, perfect for the holidays!

Welcome to Day 9 of my 12 Days of Holiday Treats series!!!

I can’t believe I actually finished all of my recipes! I still have three more to post, but they are all done and photographed. Whew. I don’t know how I did it, but I am so ready for a vacation.

These cookies almost didn’t happen, folks. When I plan out a dozen holiday recipes, the rolled cookies are usually the ones I end up loathing. After I make super simple treats like buckeye balls or peppermint patties, I find myself asking “WHY?” when I start the process of mixing, rolling, refrigerating, etc. Because of that, this recipe alternated on and off my list several times. In the end, I finally committed and I’m so glad I did!

First of all, I have to admit that these are one of the best tasting cookies I’ve ever made. The chocolate layer is rich and dark and the white layer has a hint of peppermint. Its the perfect flavor combination. Plus, the texture is downright perfect.

Second, I have to admit I’m a huge fan of how cute they turned out. My first objective was to actually turn them into little spiral pinwheels, but as I started to roll the dough layers, it was clear that was not going to happen… successfully. It was at that point that I stacked them and I’m so glad I did! I almost named them jailhouse cookies because it looks like they’re behind bars, but I opted for a more obvious name.

If you make one cookie this year, this should be it. I’m giving my vote to the striped cookies and I’m electing to stash away some for myself. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Peppermint Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate Dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the peppermint dough:

In a small bowl, combine flour, confectioners sugar, and salt; set aside. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue mixing for another couple of minutes. Stop mixing and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the egg and peppermint extract. Beat just until mixed.
Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing slowly until blended.
Place the dough between two pieces of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper. Roll into a 10 by 12 by 1/4 inch rectangle. Slide the covered sheets of dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

For the chocolate dough:

In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue mixing for another couple of minutes. Stop mixing and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat just until mixed.
Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing slowly until blended.
Place the dough between two pieces of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper. Roll into a 10 by 12 by 1/4 inch rectangle. Slide the covered sheets of dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

To make the striped cookie:

Roll each of the doughs to about 1/8-1/4 inch thick and do your best to make them the same size. Using a cup of water, wet your finger tips and barely moisten the top of one dough and the bottom of the other so that when you stack them, they stick together under gentle pressure. Using a straight edge (I used a long frosting spreader as a guide), use a pizza cutter to cut the stacked dough into 1 inch wide strips. Its important that these strips are straight and uniform length.
Stack these bi-colored strips, moistening each layer so that they stick when stacked. Continue stacking until you have the desired height (I did a total of 8 layers). Use a sharp knife to cut 1/4 inch thick cookies. Trim any uneven edges with a sharp knife.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the cookies at least 1/2 inch apart from one another and bake in preheated oven until the white dough is just beginning to brown, about 16 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
Keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to cook to reduce spreading during baking.
Store in airtight container in freezer for longer storage.