Peppermint Crunch Sugar Cookies

These little gems are simply awesome.? The fabulously minty smell they have coming out of the oven is just wonderful.? The firm but not crisp texture is great too, and they are good with icing and peppermint crunch topping as shown, or plain with none.? Whichever way you serve them, they’re sure to be a hit with peppermint lovers everywhere.? I know I’ll be making these again after the holidays are over, because they’re just a nice, festive winter time cookie.

Mmmm…minty, wintery goodness!

Take two.? They’re medium sized.

Peppermint Crunch Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter, shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, add to creamed mixture and stir until dough comes together. Using a small cookie scoop, place dough balls two inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Flatten each ball just slightly.
3. Bake cookies 11 minutes, until the edges are light brown. Cool on wire racks. Frost with vanilla icing, and sprinkle tops with crushed candy cane pieces.

You can use canned icing for these cookies, but I like the following glaze because it sets up much more firmly than canned frosting.

Vanilla Icing

2 Cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. clear vanilla

1 TBSP. milk

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.? If the icing is too stiff, add more milk, 1/2 Tbsp. at a time, until the icing is spreadable.

Happy Baking from my kitchen to yours,

S.