Yes, I know it’s only November. But regardless of Thanksgiving, it’s never too early to get in the holiday spirit. With the slight breeze outside and seasonal drinks at Starbucks around the corner, I decided to make a fun and festive treat. I found a recipe for peppermint chocolate chip cookies, and decided to add my own twist to it. I wouldn’t recommend these to someone who hates peppermint, because they come out slightly strong. Nonetheless, these were a sweet treat.

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup unsalted, softened butter
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 brown sugar, tightly packed
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Chocolate chips (I really just eye-balled a measurement for these, it depends on how strong you want the chocolate to be!)
• Peppermints (Same with the chocolate chips, add to taste.)

Instructions:

1. Mix your butter and sugars together until combined in a mixer. Then, add the vanilla and egg until all is smoothly combined.
2. Separately, mix together your flour, sea salt and baking soda.
3. Gradually combine your wet and dry ingredients (tip: gradually incorporate the dry mixture using a spoon, don’t put it all in at once!)
4. In a Ziploc bag, crush your peppermints using a tenderizer, or if you’re feeling crazy, your hands.
5. Mix in crushed peppermints and chocolate chips into the mixer.
6. Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes at 350°.
7. Take out and let cool, then enjoy!

As an avid peppermint fan, I enjoyed these. The only thing that surprised me was how chewy the peppermints turned out to be. That’s a matter of how much you crush them; it didn’t ruin these cookies for me. If you’re looking for a festive spin on a classic treat, I definitely recommend making these.