Bready or Not: Peppermint Meltaway Cookies

Do you love those peppermint meltaway candies that dissolve in your mouth with such refreshing flavor? Imagine that, in cookie form. Yes. Really.

This recipe essentially makes very lightly-textured shortbread cookies. That texture arises from the use of confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch. These are like cookie clouds.

Then you top those small cookies with a smear of frosting and some crushed peppermint bits. The combo… yeah. These are called meltaways, and that’s exactly what they do.

Plus, these things literally LOOK like the holiday season. Like snow and peppermints.

If you’re searching for a recipe to wow everyone in a cookie exchange, these are your cookies, and they don’t even taste or act like cookies. They’ll blow your mind. Blow the minds of everyone there.

Modified from Taste of Home, November 2015.

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Bready or Not: Peppermint Meltaway Cookies

These cookies taste and act like peppermint meltaway candies! The cookies are like light little clouds, and are the perfect conveyance for the refreshing frosting with peppermint bits.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: cookies, mint

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

cookie dough

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

frosting

• 2 Tb unsalted butter softened
• 2 Tb milk or half & half
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup peppermint candies crushed

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, then add peppermint extract. Gradually beat in the flour and cornstarch.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes or so, until the dough is firm enough to work with.
• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Using a teaspoon scoop, dole out dough onto a cookie sheet. Use a spatula or the bottom of a glass to lightly compress the cookies, as they may not spread much while baking.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until set. Let cool on sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a rack to finish cooling.
• When the cookies are room temperature, prepare the frosting. Mash the two tablespoons butter until creamy; add the milk and peppermint extract. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until it is smooth. Add more sugar or milk, if necessary, to reach a thick yet spreadable consistency.
• Use the back of a spoon to frost the cookies then sprinkle with peppermint candies. Store in an airtight container with waxed paper or parchment between layers. Makes about 25 teaspoon-sized cookies.
• OM NOM NOM!