Chocolate Peppermint Biscuits

The candy cane biscuits (cookies) are a festive twist on my standard ones. When I say 'mine' I really mean Nigella's as it's her base recipe, but you know, I made them, so these particular one are mine!

This month I am part of a Christmas cookie swap, so I need to make two x a dozen biscuits to send to two other ladies who I am matched up with. One of my partners is gluten free, so I have made some cranberry and pistachio biscuits for her and for my other ones, I am sending these. I absolutely love them. I love anything with chocolate and mint, and the addition of the candy cane on top is perfection in my world!

I doubled the recipe and tripled the glaze this time, and managed to get 67 biscuits and some left over glaze, but I was generous with it. Usually I'm scrapping the bottom of the pan to get it all out.
Just a little hint, if the glaze starts to thicken, just put it back on a low heat for a few seconds and it will go runny again.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients:
100g soft butter
150g light brown sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 egg
150g plain flour (all purpose)
35g cocoa powder
1/2 t baking powder
200g dark chocolate chips

For the Glaze
75g icing sugar
1 x 15ml T cocoa, sieved
1.5 x 15ml T boiling water
1/4 t peppermint extract
Crushed candy canes

Method:
1.Preheat oven for 180 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar (I use my freestanding mixer), then beat in the vanilla extract and egg.
3. Mix the flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl and gradually beat in to the creamed mixture. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Using a rounded 15ml tablespoon measure, spoon out scoops of cookie dough (I actually use a small icecream scoop) and place on a  lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
5. Bake in the oven for 13 mins and then let them sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before moving them to a cooling rack, with some baking paper underneath to catch escaping glaze later.
6. Put the glaze ingredients into a saucepan and heat until combined.
7. Using a teaspoon, zigzag the glaze over each cooling cookie and sprinkle with crush candy cane.

Makes 30+

+.