Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
Tender, egg-free shortbread cookies made with butter, confectioners' sugar, flour, and cornstarch. Finished with fluffy peppermint buttercream and crushed candies for a cool mint flavor and crisp crunch.
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Stand mixer
- Baking Sheets
- Wire Racks
- Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
FROSTING
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 to 3 drops red food coloring optional
- 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
- Beat the dough butter and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer for 3 to 4 minutes. Look for a pale, billowy mixture with no dense butter lumps, which shows that the creaming has incorporated air.
- Mix the peppermint extract into the butter mixture, then whisk the flour and cornstarch together in a separate bowl and add that mixture gradually. Stop beating when the last dry streaks disappear so the dough stays tender rather than becoming overworked.
- Cover the bowl with storage wrap, refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, and preheat the oven to 350°F. The chilled dough should feel firm enough to roll without leaving a sticky coating on your palms.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange them on ungreased baking sheets with 2 inches between them. Keep the balls similar in size so their centers and edges bake at the same pace.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, checking the undersides near the end of the baking window. The bottoms should look lightly golden while the tops remain pale and matte.
- Transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to wire racks and let them cool completely to room temperature. The centers and undersides should have no lingering warmth before frosting, or the buttercream may soften and slide.
- Whip the frosting butter in a small bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer, blend in the milk, peppermint extract, and optional coloring, then gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar. The finished frosting should look smooth and hold a soft mound rather than run off the beaters.
- Spread frosting across each cooled cookie and immediately scatter crushed peppermint candies over the top. The fresh frosting should catch the candy pieces before its surface begins to set.
Notes
Texture tip: Stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients disappear so the cookies remain tender rather than dense. Always place dough balls onto cool, ungreased baking sheets so the butter does not melt prematurely.
Doneness: Judge doneness by gently lifting an edge to check for lightly golden bottoms while the tops stay pale and matte.
Frosting tip: If the buttercream feels too runny, beat in confectioners' sugar one tablespoon at a time. If it is too stiff, blend in milk a few drops at a time until it spreads smoothly.
Storage: Store completely cooled, frosted cookies in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator, using parchment paper between layers to protect the frosting. In humid conditions, wait to frost and scatter the crushed candy until close to serving so the topping stays crisp.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.