Chocolate Peppermint Snowflake Bites

Method

1. 1. Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer or a large bowl using a hand electric whisk until light and fluffy, before beating in the egg and vanilla bean paste. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat until it starts to come together, then tip out onto a worktop dusted with flour and bring together with your hands.
   
2. 2. Wrap the dough in cling film and shape into a disc and transfer to the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. 3. Once chilled, roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface to 4mm thick and cut out stars, snowflakes or other Christmas shapes using cookie cutters. Place onto lined baking sheets and transfer back to the fridge for another half an hour.
4. 4. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/360°F/Gas Mark 4. Once heated, bake the cookies for 12 minutes until ever so lightly golden and they feel sandy to the touch. Cool on the trays for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
   
5. 5. To make the icing, whisk together the icing sugar, peppermint extract and water in a bowl until you have a thick icing. Transfer to a piping bag.
   
6. 6. Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and transfer to a small nozzled piping bag.
   
7. 7. Using the plain icing piping bag, pipe a thin line around the edge of the cookies and then flood the centre. Allow to almost dry before using the chocolate to pipe snowflake patterns.
   
8. 8. Allow to set before serving, noting that the cookies will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
   

• Christmas
• Christmas cookies
• snowflake cookies
• santa cookies

Ingredients

• US
• METRIC