Peppermint Puffs, you say? I love anything peppermint! When I saw this recipe on Facebook, I had to include it in my 25 days of Christmas cookies. This cookie recipe is a family recipe from Christine Cook. I can’t wait to give this one a try. Every year, I have my daughters and granddaughters over to bake cookies. I think this one will make it into our favorites this year.
Peppermint Puffs List of Ingredients
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- Soften one stick of unsalted butter to room temperature
- 1 Cup of confectioner’s sugar
- One egg
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 8 ounces white chocolate, melted with
- One teaspoon Shortening
- 1/2 cup finely chopped candy canes
Directions to make Peppermint Puffs Fabulous
- Stir together flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl
- Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg and extracts.
- On low speed, beat in the flour mixture. Next, we shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 375. Spray baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray, or use parchment paper.
- Now, we shape the dough into one-inch balls to make 36 delicious cookies and place them on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. After a bit, when the cookies are cool, brush them with melted chocolate, then dip them in candy canes. Let them sit until they harden on wax paper.
I prefer to dip the Peppermint Puffs in the chocolate. But I don’t dip them in the candy canes; I sprinkle the candy cane pieces on. I found candy cane sugar at Home Goods. It’s much easier than crushing candy canes for this and other recipes.
In reading over this page I became curious about the origin of the peppermint candies.The most popular shape of peppermint candy as we all know is the Candy cane. But where did it originate? Everything has to start somewhere.
One legend suggests that in the 17th century, a German choirmaster gave white sugar sticks to children during church services to keep them quiet, bending them into the shape of a shepherd’s crook to represent Jesus. Later, peppermint taste was added to represent hyssop, which is connected to purification in the Old Testament, and red stripes were added, supposedly symbolizing the blood of Christ.
Another curiosity is peppermint extract! What is peppermint extract? Where does that come from?