Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
Soft, chewy cookies made with a white cake mix base, cream cheese, and white chocolate chips, rolled in crushed peppermints.
Ingredients
- 1 package block-style cream cheese softened (226g), 8-ounce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened, 113g
- 1 cup crushed peppermint candies divided, about 170g total
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 box white cake mix divided (432g), 15.25-ounce
- 1 cup white chocolate chips 170g
- Parchment paper or nonstick foil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
- Place the crushed peppermint candies in a small, shallow bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until just combined.
- Add half of the cake mix to the bowl and beat on low speed until incorporated. Stir in the remaining cake mix, the white chocolate chips, and half of the crushed peppermints (about 1/2 cup or 85g). The dough will be soft.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Scoop the dough and roll it into 1-inch balls. Dip the top of each ball into the reserved crushed peppermints.
- Place the cookie balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets with the peppermint side up. Be careful not to let the crushed candies touch the baking sheet, as they can melt and stick.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look barely set. The cookies will be soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 to 4 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
To crush the peppermint candies, place them in a zip-top bag and gently hit them with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are coarse crumbs. A food processor also works well.
This is a soft dough. Chilling is an important step that prevents the cookies from spreading too much and makes the dough less sticky to roll.
Lining the baking sheet is key, as the melted candy will stick firmly to an unlined pan.
This recipe contains egg. For safety, dishes with eggs should be cooked until a food thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 160°F (71°C). For these cookies, they are done when the centers are set.