Pioneer Woman Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies Recipes

CHOCOLATE MESSAGE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until combined. Add the flour/cocoa mixture in 2 or 3 batches, mixing well after each addition. Place the dough into a large resealable plastic bag and flatten slightly with your hand. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Dust a work surface with cocoa powder.
• Remove the dough from the bag and place on the cocoa powder-dusted surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut with a heart cutter. You'll need to consolidate and re-roll the dough as you go. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake until set but not browning at all, about 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• To decorate the cookies with stenciled letters, Pink Buttercream or melted chocolate: Stencil some of the cookies with the alphabet stencils to spell out things like "Love You" and "Be Mine." Place the stencils on the cooled cookies and lay pieces of scrap paper on any areas of exposed cookie. Lightly sift powdered sugar over the stencils. Carefully remove the paper and stencils with tweezers, being careful not to drop powdered sugar as you remove them. Use a tiny brush to correct "errors."
• For the remaining cookies, frost with Pink Buttercream if desired, or drizzle with melted white chocolate. Arrange on a platter or in a basket and deliver to your sweetie! (Don't stack the cookies.)
• Add the powdered sugar, butter, heavy cream and food coloring to the bowl of an electric mixer and cream together until light and fluffy.

CHRISTMAS CANDY CANE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the shortening, butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Divide dough in half; mix the food coloring into 1 portion. Cover and refrigerate both doughs for 2 hours or until easy to handle., Shape 1 teaspoon plain dough into a 4-in. rope. Shape 1 teaspoon red dough into a 4-in. rope. Place ropes side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on an ungreased baking sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane. Repeat with remaining plain and red dough, placing cookies 2 in. apart on baking sheets., Bake at 375° for 8-9 minutes or until set. Combine the crushed candy and sugar; sprinkle warm cookies with candy mixture. Remove to wire racks to cool.

CHOCOLATE OVERLOAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cream together the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scraping the sides once, until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, then add in batches to the mixer, mixing until just combined after each addition. Gently stir in the regular-sized chocolate candies, as well as the chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks.
• Using a 1/4-cup measure, portion the dough onto the two parchment-lined baking sheets. Place the mini chocolate candies into the tops of the portioned dough. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and bake until the cookie centers are just set, 18 to 20 minutes. Allow the cookies to sit for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

"PIONEER WOMAN" CHOCOLATE CANDY CANE COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream softened butter with powdered sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix together until dough comes together. Place plastic wrap on surface of dough and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• In the meantime, unwrap candies and place them in a plastic bag. Beat with a mallet until finely crushed, leaving larger chunks if desired.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Roll cookie dough in walnut-sized pieces and place on a cookie sheet. Gently press balls flat with a plain, smooth surface.
• Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, being careful not to burn. Cookies will remain the same general size and shape after they bake. Remove from oven and place cookies on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely.
• Place crushed candies in bowl. Melt almond bark in the microwave. Dip cooled cookies into almond bark, coating half the cookie. Immediately sprinkle crushed peppermints over both sides of the almond bark. Gently set on parchment paper or other nonstick surface and allow to cool before serving.

CHOCOLATE CANDY CANE COOKIES

Steps:

• Add the butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until the mixture is nice and smooth. Mix in the vanilla and egg. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix just until the dough comes together. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the dough and refrigerate it for a couple of hours.
• While the dough is chilling away, unwrap the candies and place them in two plastic bags, separated by color. Crush the candies to pieces with a rolling pin. Throw the crushed mints into separate bowls and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll the dough into balls. Place the balls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or baking mats. Flatten them slightly with the bottom of a coffee mug or glass. Bake until just set, 7 to 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely.
• Meanwhile, melt the almond bark in a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl and stir until smooth. One at a time, dip the cooled cookies halfway into the melted almond bark. Sprinkle the top sides generously with crushed mints, holding the cookies over the bowls to catch the excess. You can mix red and green on the same cookie, or do some with just red and some with just green.
• Lay the cookies, sprinkled-side up, on parchment paper or a baking mat and allow them to set completely. Serve with a few whole mints on the side.

CHOC MINT COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the peppermint extract and egg and beat until combined. Add the flour/cocoa mixture in 2 or 3 batches, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the chopped mints. Place the dough into a large ziptop bag and flatten slightly with your hand. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest in the bag at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.
• For rolling: Mix the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl, then tip it out onto the counter. Remove the dough from the bag and put it on the flour/cocoa mixture. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/3 inch. Cut with fun-shaped cookie cutters and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. You'll need to consolidate and re-roll the dough as you go.
• Bake until set, about 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
• For the royal icing: Beat the powdered sugar, milk and egg white with a mixer in a large bowl until thick and glossy. Add more powdered sugar if the icing seems too thin (the size of the egg can affect consistency). Just play with it until it's right. The icing should be stiff enough to "stand still" when piped and not run.
• To decorate: Transfer the royal icing to a piping bag and swirl the icing onto the cookies to decorate them. Let set for 10 to 15 minutes.