Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Line sheet pans with silicone liners or parchment paper.
Sift together flour, baking powder and cacao powder in one bowl.
In another bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy - about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl 1-2 times.
With the mixer on low, add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix just until smooth and combined.
Next, with the mixer on low, add sifted flour mixture. Mix just until no large lumps of dry ingredients remain.
Lastly, add the chocolate chunks and peppermint chips. Fold them into the dough with a silicone spatula.
Scoop the cookie dough into the lined baking sheets, about 2-inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly to help them spread a little.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are set in the center. Rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time.
Serve the cookies warm and enjoy!
Notes
Vanilla extract can be substituted with peppermint extract. But make sure to use peppermint and not mint extract.
My preferred cocoa powder is Hershey’s special dark but any unsweetened cocoa powder will work in this recipe.
Chocolatechunks can be substituted with chocolate chips.
White chocolate peppermint chips are widely available in grocery stores around the holidays. The most common brands are Ghirardelli and Andes. However if you cannot find them, you can substitute with ¼ cup white chocolate chips and ¼ cup crushed candy cane.
If using crushed candy cane, you can crush the candy cane finer to avoid having some larger chunks in these soft cookies.
If cookie dough gets warm while rolling it into cookie dough balls, it's better to chill the dough before continuing working with it.
Using a cookie scoop ensures uniform cookies every time you make them.
Flatten cookies slightly after scooping them (but not too much so they don't end up being completely flat) with the palm of your hand to help them spread a little.
Feel free to add any of your favorite additions to the cookie dough, such as hazelnuts, walnuts, craisins, M&M's, espresso or coffee powder.
If desired, you can drizzle glaze over cooled cookies and let them stand until set for about 10 minutes. The glaze is made of mixing together sugar, mint extract and a bit of water. But, in my view, this is unnecessary and you can totally skip the glaze as the cookies are sweet enough on their own. Plus, it helps to cut down on sugar.
These cookies are best when served warm. I like to heat them for 15-20 seconds in the microwave for that “fresh from the oven” taste, and enjoy them with a glass of milk!