Light Making

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

The moment the calendar rolled over into November I began making festive preparations for this holiday season. Maybe it’s because it just feels a little darker this year or maybe because it’s the first year I have a child away in college and Christmas means the first time we’ll see him since he left in August. Or maybe it’s just the desire for the reminder of the promise that light always follows the darkness.

I try to imagine what our ancestors must have felt when the sun made its descent. Not knowing when or if it would return. Would they be promised light again? Another growing season? Is the darkness forever? Now we understand the dance of the earth, sun and moon. We know that no matter how dark it seems there will be light again. But my rushing into the festivities reminds me that no matter the darkness I too get to add some sparkle, light and joy into my days.

This time of year I get so many messages from you all asking me for recipes that have made their way into your holiday traditions. I apologize for the inconvenience of not being able to find those recipes but I am happy to share some of our favorites and some of yours. First I’m starting with our classic White Chocolate Peppermint cookies with Vanilla Salt. Now, I’m not always the biggest white chocolate fan so if you need permission to swap out the white chocolate with dark, permission granted. But I will admit white chocolate and peppermint are a classic pair for a reason. I’ll also let you know that I’ve turned these delightful cookies into a very festive trifle worthy of any sequin adorned holiday party. Well, let’s just add that recipe here too.

I hope you all are finding or adding some light to your days. Cookies do tend to help.

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies with Vanilla Salt

Makes 18 to 24 cookies

Ingredients
½ cup / 115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons / 170 g packed dark brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups / 250 g all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup / 140 g white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons / 30 g crushed peppermint candies (or candy canes)
Vanilla salt (such as Jacobsen), for finishing

Cream the butter, granulated sugar, turbinado sugar, and brown sugar together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale, fluffy, and light—about 5 minutes—scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and vanilla and mix again until smooth, pausing to scrape down the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stop when there are still a few streaks of flour showing. Add the white chocolate and crushed peppermint and mix just until everything begins to come together, then finish folding the dough by hand so the mix-ins are evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 24 hours; the rest deepens the toffee notes and improves the texture of the baked cookies.

When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 360°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop the chilled dough onto the prepared sheets and finish each mound with a small pinch of vanilla salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans if needed, until the edges are lightly golden but the centers still look soft and gooey. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. These are best the day they’re baked but will keep, tightly sealed, for up to 2 days.

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Peppermint White Chocolate Chip Cookie Trifle

Ingredients
1 batch White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (recipe above)

2 cups whole milk
4 cups heavy cream, divided
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)
¼ cup crushed candy canes

In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk with 1 cup of the heavy cream. Add the scraped seeds from the vanilla bean along with the pod itself and bring everything to a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, brown sugar, and salt until the mixture lightens slightly in color. Slowly pour about half of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens, just a couple of minutes. Strain it through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate until completely chilled. The custard will continue to thicken as it cools.

Whip the remaining 3 cups of heavy cream with the white sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. If you want the peppermint flavor to really sing, add a small splash of peppermint extract here.

To assemble the trifle, start with a generous layer of cookies. Break about half of them into large, rustic chunks and scatter them across the bottom of your trifle dish. Spoon half the chilled custard over the cookies, then add a layer of whipped cream. Repeat the layers—cookies, custard, whipped cream—finishing with a cloud of whipped cream on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, though overnight is ideal so the flavors can settle in and the cookies soften just enough while still keeping a bit of texture.

Just before serving, shower the top with crushed candy canes for sparkle and crunch.