What I Baked on Sunday

Christmas Cookie Edition

Andes Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Ingredients 

1 cups unsalted butter
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 cups plus two tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup. granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 package (10 oz.) Andres Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
1 - 4 oz. bar of semi- sweet chocolate, chunked (I used chocolate chips)

Directions

• Preheat over to 350 degrees.
• In a small saucepan melt butter with coffee granules over low heat until granules are completely dissolved. Remove pan from heat and let cool to about room temperature.
• Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat butter mixture, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in the flour mixture 1/3 at a time, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips and chocolate chunks/chips.
• Drop rounded tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let rest on baking sheet for 1 minute then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: Approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Salted Caramel Christmas Bark
Recipe from Jenny Cookies 

Ingredients
1 (11 oz) package of Kraft Caramel Bits (Kraft Caramels work too, you just have to unwrap them all)
1 (11.5 oz) package of Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 (11.5 oz) package of Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Chips
Sea Salt
 2 tbls water

• Line a standard jelly roll pan with foil.
• In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the Kraft Caramel Bits with 2 tbls water for 2 minutes, stirring half way. Remove from microwave and stir. If not fully melted, microwave an additional 30 seconds.
• Mix bag of milk chocolate chips and bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in separate bowl and melt in microwave for 2 minutes, stirring half way. If not fully melted, microwave an additional 30 seconds.
• Spread melted chocolate onto pan.
• Pour melted caramel over top of chocolate. Swirl with a spatula.
• Sprinkle sea salt over top. Use a lot! It tastes amazing.
• Put pan in freezer to set (about 30 minutes). Once bark has set, remove from freezer to break into pieces.
• Store in refrigerator in an air tight container until ready to serve.

The original recipe called for two bags of everything but I thought one was plenty. If you use two bags, you can layer it. This makes a great gift!