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Peppermint Bark Bars | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife Rebecca Firth

Chewy Peppermint Cookie Bars

Chewy Peppermint Cookie Bars are your very favorite chocolate chip cookie dough covered in chocolate peppermint ganache and drizzles of white chocolate ganache. The whole lot gets showered in crushed peppermint candies, we throw the remaining bits of dough randomly over the top and then scrape any last drizzle-y bits of both ganaches over the top. Delicious.
4.50 from 2 reviews
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Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Keyword: Peppermint, Chocolate Gananche, White Chocolate, Cookie, Bars, Dessert, Peppermint Bark
Servings: 15 Bar Cookies

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Ganache

  • 3/4 cup (128 g) dark chocolate (finely chopped)
  • 3/4 cup (180 g) heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

White Chocolate Ganache

  • ½ cup (85 g) white chocolate (finely chopped)
  • 1/4 cup (60 g) heavy whipping cream

For The Cookie Dough

  • 10 tablespoons (142 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup (112 g) sunflower or grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 1 tablespoon (15 g) milk (room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon (13 g) real vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour (how to measure flour)
  • 1 cup (135 g) bread flour (can substitute more all-purpose flour 1:1)

To Garnish

  • ¾ cup (115 g or 4 oz) crushed peppermint candies

Instructions

For the Ganache

  • To make the dark chocolate ganache, in a medium, heat-safe bowl add the dark chocolate, cream and peppermint extract and set over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the bowl touch the water or let the water boil. Stir frequently until almost melted. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Take off of the heat and stir every couple of minutes to help it cool, stay fluid and thicken.
  • In another medium, heat-safe bowl add the white chocolate and cream and set over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the bowl touch the water or let the water boil. Stir frequently until almost melted. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Take off of the heat and stir every couple of minutes to help it cool, stay fluid and thicken.

For the Cookie

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 8 × 10-inch (20 x 25-cm) baking pan and line with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the sides.
  • In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix on medium for 4 minutes, or until light and well blended. With the mixer on low, add in the eggs, one at a time, completely mixing the first before adding the second.
    Take care to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl so that everything is incorporated. Add the oil, milk and vanilla and mix for 1 minute. Add in the baking powder, baking soda and sea salt and mix for 1 minute to fully combine. Finally add in the bread flour and flour, and mix on low until just combined.

To Assemble

  • Put 3/4s of the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour the cooled dark chocolate ganache over the dough, then drizzle the white chocolate over the top; reserve a small bit of dark chocolate and white chocolate. Sprinkle the crushed peppermint over the top. Drop clumps of the remaining 1/4 of dough over the top. Drizzle the remaining dark and white chocolate over the top.
  • Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting. To get really clean cuts, place in the fridge for an hour or so before cutting, cleaning the knife between cuts.

Notes

Baking Vessel

I use a Staub baking dish for these. I measure it at home and it is 8 × 10-inch (20 x 25-cm); online it is listed as 7.5 X 10.5-inch (19 x 27-cm)…it’s the same dish. If you have to go up or down in pan size, adjust your baking time accordingly. 
Pick a dish somewhere close to that size and don't fill it more than 3/4s full.
If you go too much bigger or smaller you're going to have to adjust your bake time accordingly and I worry it won't be as fab.

Notes on the Bake Time

I'm an under-baker with bar cookies. I like them ooey gooey. Think blondies and brownies. That's my jam. Nothing cakey here. So I recommend 30 minutes.
HOWEVER, if you like something that's baked through more, you may want to bake them in the 35 range. Regardless, in either zone, they should be lightly bronzed over the top (think George Hamilton in dead winter) with some jiggle throughout.
If you bake them until the jiggle is gone, they will be over-baked, cakey, dry perhaps? Not what we're looking for.
 
Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo