These little peppermint cookies are some of our favorite Christmas cookies. We make them every year and always look forward to having them.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup crushed peppermint sticks

chocolate chips

1/2 cup sugar

Let the butter warm and soften for a bit, then cream the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the 1/4 cup sugar, and beat until light. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, and mix well. Add in the flour gradually, mixing until well blended. Mix in the peppermint sticks. We have used whole candy canes and crushed them ourselves, but we have also used pre-bought packages of crushed peppermint candies. We prefer the pre-bought crushed peppermint because the pieces are smaller and make for a more balanced and blended cookie. After mixing in the peppermint candy, roll the cookie dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter (they can be a bit bigger or smaller, depending on your preference). In order to form the balls well, you will have to warm up the dough in your hands. Once the dough is rolled into a ball, roll the ball in sugar to coat the outside, then place the sugar-coated dough ball on a baking sheet. Place a chocolate chip in the center of the cookie, pressing the chocolate chip down slightly. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (the bottom edges of the cookies around the pan should be browning just a little). The recipe makes about 24 cookies.

These cookies are a great Christmas cookie to have at the house or to give away. They look festive, last for awhile, and have a great peppermint flavor that is perfect for the holiday season!