MINNESOTA, USA — Thousands of Christmas cookies, made mostly over three days, come together each year in Deb Connelly's kitchen.
Peppermint Oreo Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 box white cake mix (see note below)
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup Oreo cookie chunks
1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch pieces + extra
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips + extra
INSTRUCTIONS:
Add the dry cake mix, butter, egg, extracts, and cream cheese to a mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until a soft dough forms.
Stir in the cookie chunks, peppermint crunch pieces and chocolate chips gently. Refrigerate the dough for at least 60 minutes. The longer, the better. The dough should not stick to your hands when you roll it.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Scoop or roll the dough into 24 balls. Place 12 on a baking sheet and the other 12 in the fridge.
Bake for 10-11 minutes. Do not overbake. The cookies will be very soft and look undone when you take them out.
Let the cookies sit on the hot cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes, then gently remove them with a thin metal spatula to a piece of parchment paper on the counter.
If the cookies are extra puffy, tap the tops with the bottom of the flat spatula. Press extra chocolate chips or peppermint pieces into the tops of the hot cookies. Let them sit until completely cool. Store in a sealed container.
NOTES:
- These cookies seem to work best if a Pillsbury or Aldi cake mix is used.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are not overly soft. If they are, your cookie dough may need to be refrigerated longer.
- If you are using a hand mixer, it will take longer for the dough to come together. Keep mixing until there are no butter or cream cheese streaks.
- Cake mix cookies do take longer to set up. These are best after cooling on the counter for a few hours.
- Can't find the Andes Peppermint Crunch pieces, use any type of chocolate peppermint candy bar and cut into small pieces.
