Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

I am a grinch today. A grumpy, green, greasy banana peel, grinch. Many things have come together to put me in this grinchy state. First, I went to Nordstrom Rack last night to get some last minute presents for the boyfriend. My eyes were distracted from the Men’s department for a bit when I saw a rack full of black skinny jeans and decided I needed a pair. However, when I got in the dressing room and tried the pants on, I discovered that all this holiday eating had caused me to look like ground pork being stuffed into a sausage casing. No skinny jeans for this girl. So, in order to make my lardy self feel better, I bought a pretty, sparkly, red O.P.I. nail polish to give me some Christmas cheer. When I got home, I discovered that the nail polish never made it into my shopping bag even though the $8 made it onto my credit card. $8 down the drain. No fun. Add that unfortunate shopping experience to the fact that a “certain place that shall not be named” (hint – I spend approximatly 40 hours a week there and it’s not my kitchen), has really been ticking me off lately, and you have Little Miss Grinch. I’m not going to do anything about my anti-christmas spirit mood , even these cheerful cookies won’t help, we all reserve the right to be a grinch every now and then. Maybe tomorrow I will wake up feeling more like a Who. I hope so.

Ingredients:

2 sticks Salted Butter, at room temperature
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 Egg
2 tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Salt
4 ounces Almond Bark Or White Baking Chocolate (almond bark works best)
Large Handful Of Red Peppermints, unwrapped

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand up mixer, cream butter with powdered sugar.

2. Add egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix together to form a dough.

3. Place plastic wrap on surface of dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. While the dough is chilling, unwrap peppermint candies and place them in a plastic bag. Beat with a mallet (I used a rolling pin) until finely crushed, leaving larger chunks if desired.

5. When dough is almost done chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

6. Roll cookie dough in walnut-sized balls and place on a cookie sheet. Gently press balls flat with a plain, smooth surface (I used the bottom of a drinking glass).

7. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, being careful not to burn. Cookies will remain the same general size and shape after they bake. Remove from oven and place cookies on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely.

8. Place the almond bark in a large mug or small bowl and melt in the microwave for about 1 minute or until smooth.

9. Place the crushed peppermints in a small bowl. Dip cooled cookies into almond bark, coating half the cookie. Immediately dip the almond bark coated side in the crushed peppermints. Gently set on parchment paper or other nonstick surface and allow to cool before serving.