Peppermint Meltaways

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5 from 12 votes

A light and buttery bite-sized cookie with a bright peppermint flavor.

Prep Time20

Cook Time13

Chilling1

Total Time1 33

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cookies, dessert, holiday

Servings:

Calories: 84kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

14 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
2 tablespoons cream cheese room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar (57g)
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (196g)
¼ cup cornstarch (4 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon salt

For the icing:

1 cup powdered sugar (115g) more or less for desired consistency
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
1 tablespoon milk or cream
1 drop red gel food color optional
crushed peppermint candies for garnish (about 2 (6-inch) candy canes)

Instructions

To prepare the cookie dough:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy. Add ½ cup of powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon peppermint extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and blend again until incorporated.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt. Add the flour mixture in four batches to the creamed butter mixture. Blend on medium-low until each addition is incorporated. Scrape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
To bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop a level spoonful of dough using a 1-inch cookie scoop. Roll each into a tight ball and place two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each dough ball gently with the bottom of a small glass or measuring cup to the desired thickness. If the cookies are sticking to the glass, wrap the bottom of the glass in wax paper and secure with a rubber band. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat using a cool baking pan until all cookies are baked.
Cool cookies completely before icing. Alternatively, you can toss the warm cookies in powdered sugar instead.

To prepare the icing:

Whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract and the milk. Add more sugar or milk as needed to reach the desired consistency. Add a drop of red food color, if using, and blend well. Spread the icing on the cooled cookies and immediately top with the crushed peppermint candy. Allow the icing to fully set then store the cookies in a cool location or refrigerate for longer storage.

Notes

Omit the salt if using salted butter

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition