We are celebrating the Halfway to the Holidays excitement with Disney Parks! Can you believe how quickly this year has passed by? There are so many wonderful things coming up in the second half of 2024 for us to look forward to. From the elongated spooky season for Halloween to the joyous celebration of the Holidays, we can’t wait to enjoy all the fun ahead. As I start making my own plans to host my annual Christmas in July, I thought this might be the perfect occasion to make some of these Chocolate Peppermint Cookies from the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays event in Walt Disney World.
CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES – From the EPCOT® International Festival of the Holidays
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch cocoa)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus 1/4 cup chocolate chips for topping
- 20 to 24 peppermint hard candies, crushed
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- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cream together butter and sugar in large bowl for 1 to 2 minutes. Add
egg and peppermint extract and beat with mixer until light and fluffy,
scraping down sides of bowl.- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and
baking powder. Gradually sift over wet ingredients, mixing well.- Stir in chocolate chips. Freeze for 10 minutes.
- Remove from freezer and form dough into balls (each a heaping
tablespoon) and place 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking
sheet. Press tops of cookies down and top with a few more chocolate
chips.- Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges start to dry but tops are still slightly
soft. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle a handful of crushed
candies on each cookie.- Transfer to cooling rack until completely cooled.
Cook’s Note: Dutch-processed cocoa is treated with an alkali to neutralize its
acidity. The treatment process, invented by a Dutchman in 1828, smooths
and mellows the cocoa’s flavor and darkens its color to a rich, deep and
sometimes reddish color. You can use unsweetened cocoa, but Dutch is
preferred.
Zoë Wood is a travel writer from Sydney, Australia. Since her first visit to Disneyland at the age of 6, she has spent her years frequently visiting Disney Parks and traveling around the world.
Join Zoë as she lets you in on all the tips, tricks, anecdotes, and embarrassments that arise from her family adventures.
