Merry Christmas, everyone! The holidays are in full swing over here at the Macaulay house – actually no – that’s a big fat  lie. It’s 80 degrees here today, and it’s September 13th! I am sitting in my back sun porch, stifling from the heat as I type. I am prepping all my blog posts until January, and this is the final one! I am hoping though, that by the time this goes live, my house will smell like evergreen and Harry Connick’s Christmas album will be on repeat. I suppose, in a way, Christmas is year round here, because I do watch Hallmark Channel January to December (I may need an intervention).

This cookie has become one of our favorites, and I may even put it ahead of my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. In August, when my photographer came to do our blog shoot, we scarfed these down, and then I may or may not have finished off the remaining cookie dough the next day while laying in bed watching a… Hallmark Movie. Here’s to Christmas year round! I promise that if you try these, you’ll want to make them no matter what time of year it is, but Christmas is certainly a great excuse. Think “molasses cookie” texture meets “After Eight” chocolate minty flavor. Bet you can’t eat just one! I sure cannot.

1 1/2 C butter, softened
2 C granulated sugar
2 lg eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 C flour
1 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
5 drops peppermint essential oil (high quality, therapeutic grade that may be ingested) or peppermint extract
1/3 C granulated sugar for rolling/coating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients slowly to wet ingredients and fold together. Add peppermint oil and stir until evenly blended.

Roll dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place rolling sugar in shallow bowl and roll each ball in sugar. Place balls on parchment covered cookie sheet. Press down lightly. Cookies will spread when baking. Bake 8-10 minutes or until the tops have a crackle appearance.

Food Photography by: Rebecca O’Hara Photography