Second Place, Boozy Category
The 2017 Dallas Morning News Central Market Holiday Cookie Contest
Spiked Peppermint Mocha Sammies
Sarah Coffey, Oak Cliff
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons peppermint schnapps liqueur
1 cup white chocolate chips
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)
Crushed candy cane for decoration (optional)
Heat oven to 350 F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda and salt; reserve.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and egg yolk, vanilla and schnapps and continue mixing until fully combined.
Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed and scraping down sides of bowl until just incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in white chocolate chips by hand with rubber spatula.
With a No. 40-size cookie scoop (available at restaurant-supply stores), drop 24 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookies onto prepared baking sheet. Bake until just crinkled on top, about 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to metal rack to cool completely.
When cookies are cool, snip a small corner off of a plastic zipper-style bag, fill the bag with Peppermint Buttercream Frosting and use to pipe frosting onto the flat side of half of the cookies. Top with the other cookies to make sandwich cookies. If desired, roll the edge of the sandwich in crushed peppermint candy.
Makes 1 dozen sandwich cookies.
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting: In a mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachment, beat 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Add 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar in small increments, mixing until fully incorporated. Mix in 3 tablespoons peppermint schnapps and 1 teaspoon peppermint extract; mix until combined.
PER SERVING: 539 calories, 21 g fat (13 g sat fat), 74 mg cholesterol, 174 mg sodium, 84 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 70 g sugar, 4 g protein