These cute Chocolate Peppermint Cups are an adorable way to serve up plenty of holiday flavor.
Chocolate Peppermint Cups
Makes about 24
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- Red gel food coloring
- Peppermint Cream (recipe follows)
- Garnish: crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a miniature muffin pan with baking spray with flour.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined, stopping to scrape bottom and sides of bowl as needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until just combined.
- Using a 1-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop dough into each well of prepared muffin pan.
- Bake until outsides are just set but centers are still soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately press center of each cookie down with the end of a wooden spoon to create a cup shape, pressing the cookie up the sides of the cup.
- Return to oven, and bake until cookies are set and surface is dry, 2 to 3 minutes more, pressing centers down again, if needed, once they are out of the oven. Let cookies cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Use a small paintbrush, paint 4 stripes of red food coloring on the inside of a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round piping tip. (Do not go overboard, a little goes a long way.) Spoon Peppermint Cream into piping bag. Fill cups with Peppermint Cream. Top with crushed peppermint candies, as desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Peppermint Cream
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined. Add cream, beating until mixture is smooth. Stir in extract. Use immediately.
