Food Network Magazine - (12)December 2020

PEPPERMINT BAR COOKIES

ACTIVE: 40 min l TOTAL: 1 hr 10 min (plus cooling) l MAKES: about 32

Cooking spray

2½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 sticks unsalted butter,

at room temperature

1¼ cups sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoons red gel food coloring

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon pure peppermint extract

1¼ cups white chocolate chips

⅓ cup red candy melts

⅓ cup lightly crushed

peppermint candies

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ̊. Line a
   9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil, leaving
   an overhang on all sides. Lightly coat with
   cooking spray. Whisk the flour, salt and
   baking powder in a medium bowl.


2. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl
   with a mixer on medium-high speed until
   light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in
   the egg, then beat in the food coloring and
   vanilla and peppermint extracts, scraping
   down the bowl as needed. Beat in the flour
   mixture in two batches until just combined.


3. Spread the dough in the baking dish,
   pressing it with your hands until flat
   and even. Bake until set and a toothpick
   inserted into the center comes out clean,
   30 to 40 minutes.
   4. As soon as the bars come out of the
   oven, top with the white chocolate chips
   in a single layer. Let sit 2 minutes to soften,
   then spread into a thin layer with an offset
   spatula. Put the red candy melts in a small
   microwave-safe bowl and microwave in
   30-second intervals, stirring, until melted.
   Transfer to a small resealable plastic bag
   and snip a corner. Pipe diagonal stripes on
   top of the white chocolate. Sprinkle with
   the peppermint candies. Transfer the pan
   to a rack and let the bars cool completely.
   5. If the white chocolate is still soft,
   place the baking dish in the freezer for
   a few minutes until set. Lift the bars
   out of the baking dish, peel off the foil
   and cut into pieces.

RECIPES BY MELISSA GAMAN, YOUNG SUN HUH, KHALIL HYMORE, STEVE JACKSON AND JESSICA WIDMER

peppermint

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