Description
Peppermint Meltaways Cookies are delicate, melt-in-your-mouth treats infused with refreshing peppermint flavor. These soft, buttery cookies are coated with a smooth peppermint frosting and garnished with crushed peppermint candies, perfect for holiday celebrations or a cozy winter dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter very soft room temperature
- ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup cornstarch (plus 1-2 tablespoons as needed)
Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1½ tablespoons heavy cream
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract (adjust to preferred peppermint flavor)
- Crushed peppermint candies for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Mix Butter, Condensed Milk, and Extract: In a medium bowl, combine the very soft unsalted butter, sweetened condensed milk, and peppermint extract. Beat with a handheld mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth with no lumps of butter remaining.
- Add Cornstarch and Mix: Gradually add the cornstarch to the bowl and mix on low speed until fully incorporated and the batter is smooth, resembling a thick peanut butter consistency suitable for scooping.
- Scoop and Arrange Cookies: Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out level scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing each cookie about 2 inches apart to allow for slight spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are just lightly golden, indicating the cookies are cooked through but still tender inside.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely at room temperature, ensuring they firm up without becoming hard.
- Prepare Frosting: While cookies are baking and cooling, mix powdered sugar, melted butter, heavy cream, and peppermint extract in a medium bowl. Beat until thick, smooth, and spreadable, adjusting cream or powdered sugar as needed to achieve the right consistency.
- Frost Cookies and Garnish: Spread approximately 2 teaspoons of frosting on each cooled cookie and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies for a festive touch before serving.
Notes
- Use very soft but not melted butter for the best texture of cookie dough.
- If dough is too soft or sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons more cornstarch to achieve a thick yet scoopable consistency.
- Do not overmix the dough to avoid flat or tough cookies; mix until just combined with a slightly crumbly texture.
- The recipe yields about 12 cookies; you can double the ingredients to make more.
- Adjust peppermint extract in frosting starting at ⅛ teaspoon and taste before adding more for preferred flavor intensity.
- Optional substitutions for frosting flavor include lemon, vanilla, or almond extracts for different variations.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; freezing is not recommended due to delicate texture.
- Frosting can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature and whisk before use.
- For convenience, a store-bought vanilla frosting mixed with peppermint extract and crushed candy canes can be used as an alternative frosting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 35 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
