Red Velvet Peppermint Sammies {12 Days of Sugar – Day 8}

 These Red Velvet Peppermint Sammies are absolutely divine!  The most delicious peppermint buttercream sandwiched between two soft, tender red velvet cookies. You’re going to fall in love!

WOW is about all I could say after taking one bite of these Red Velvet Peppermint Sammies.  They left me utterly speechless. I think they left ALL of us speechless.

I have been dying to share this recipe with you. I was going to start my 12 Days of Sugar with these, and then decided to save one of the best things for last. Well it’s only day 8 and I couldn’t wait any longer.

These cookies are the whole reason I bought the Bake From Scratch Holiday Cookies Magazine. . . ok, well these and about 28 other cookies recipes — lol! I need to do more like a 49 Days of Sugar to fit in everything I want to make and share. I guess you’ll just have to sit tight until next year, and the next, and the next, etc.But let’s talk about the cookies that are staring you in the face right now, because they are freaking delicious! The cookie is delicious, tender, and soft with just a bit of chewiness. Then there’s the peppermint buttercream! I wanted to slather it on anything in sight, it’s absolutely divine!

Heaven help me!

If you’re looking for a showstopper of a cookie for those holiday cookie plattes or a cookie exchange, I’ve got your back today.

You’re welcome!

TIPS FOR MAKING RED VELVET PEPPERMINT SAMMIES:

• The recipe calls for Dutch processed cocoa powder, which really amps up the chocolate flavor in these cookies.  I’ve bought my Dutch processed cocoa at Costco (the “business” Costco on 300 West in Salt Lake is the only Costco I’ve seen it at in Utah), you can also find it on Amazon. You can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder as well, but the color won’t be as rich and deep.
• When you roll the dough in the granulated sugar, make sure you get a thick coat. This will help the powdered sugar stick better and make those high-contrast cracks and splits we love in crinkle cookies.
• The recipe says this makes 12 sammies (so 24 cookies before assembled). When you roll the balls the size to make 24 cookies, I feel like the cookies spread too much, were too flat and too big. So after trying a couple times, I found the perfect size to roll the dough balls is just slightly bigger than the size/diameter of a quarter. You end up with about 18 sammies (36 cookies) when you roll them this size.
• If you find that the cookies are going flatter than you want, chill the dough for about 30 minutes and/or add a little more flour.
• This recipe calls for bread flour which is all I’ve ever used when making these cookies. If you’re wondering if you can swap bread flour for all-purpose flour, remember that bread flour has a higher protein content, which results in stability, form, and a slightly higher rise in the dough, but you will still get a good rise with all-purpose flour. There will also be some difference in crumb and texture.

Now go make these and try not to eat the entire batch.

Red Velvet Peppermint Sammies

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Ingredients

Cookies:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon red gel paste food coloring
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 2/3 cup bread flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Peppermint Buttercream

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candies (or candy canes)
• 1 tablespoon half & half (or a little more for the consistency you want)

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Instructions

Cookies:

1. In a medium size saucepan, combine chocolate chips, butter and milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until chocolate and butter are melted. Remove from heat and whisk in brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each egg. Add food coloring and vanilla, stirring until combined.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring to combine in as few strokes as possible. Let dough stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. (If dough is still to sticky to roll, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
4. Place remaining granulated sugar in a bowl and place powdered sugar in another bowl. Scoop dough about the size of a ping ball. Roll in granulated sugar, making sure you get a thick coat of it on each dough ball. Then roll balls in powdered sugar. Don’t shake off the excess.
5. Place two inches apart on prepared pans.
6. Bake for 11 minutes. Let cool on pans for 15 minutes.
7. Spread buttercream on the flat side of half of the cookies. Place remaining cookies, flat side down, on top of buttercream. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar at low speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. (You can also use your hand mixer)
2. Add crushed peppermint candies and half & half and mix well.

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Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from Bake From Scratch Holiday Cookies Magazine