All the season's tastes and smells are all wrapped up in these wonderfully delicious cookies. These beautiful cookies make great hostess gifts or make them for your own holiday gathering.
Cookies:
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
2⁄3 c. tightly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. peppermint extract
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
1 recipe Cornflake Crunch (recipe follows)
2⁄3 c. mini chocolate chips
40 peppermints or 18 candy canes, crushed
1 ¼ c. mini marshmallows
Cornflake Crunch:
1/2 (12-ounce) box (5 cups) cornflakes
1/2 c. milk powder
3 T. sugar
1 t. kosher salt
9 T. butter, melted
Cornflake Crunch:
Heat oven to 275 degrees.
Pour cornflakes into a medium bowl: crush to one-quarter of their original size. Add the milk powder, sugar, and salt; toss to mix. Add butter; toss to coat. The butter will bind the dry ingredients to the cereal and creating small clusters.
Spread clusters on a parchment or Silpat lined sheet pan; bake 20 minutes.They should look toasted, smell buttery, and crunch gently when cooled slightly and chewed.
Cool the cornflake crunch completely before storing or using in a recipe. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the crunch will keep fresh for 1 week; in the fridge or freezer, it will keep for 1 month.
Cookies:
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on medium-high 2 - 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and peppermint extract; beat 7 - 8 minutes.
Reduce mixer speed to low; add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
On low speed, paddle in the cornflake crunch, mini chocolate chips and peppermints. Paddle in the mini marshmallows just until incorporated.
Using a 2 3/4 oz. ice cream scoop or a 1/3 c. measure, portion out dough onto a baking sheet. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat; refrigerate 1 hour until the dough is chilled.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Arrange chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, spread and smell like the holidays.