Snow, holiday breaks, and jolly decor; these are just a handful of the extensive amounts of goodies that the upcoming holiday season has to offer. As an essential part of the season, the delicious delicacies that are Christmas cookies are extra special this time of year. Some begin baking while stuck inside during the increasingly cold weather. Whether it’s Thanksgiving pie or scrumptious Christmas fudge, there are many traditional recipes to enjoy during the holiday season. However, after combing through dozens of recipes, I decided to make a much more exciting and bold dessert: peppermint cookies.

After some searching, I found an eye-catching recipe in the cookbook “Taste of Home: Christmas Edition.” After gathering the ingredients to create the (aptly named) “Peppermint Meltaways”, I quickly got to work. The recipe starts off as a standard cookie recipe with flour and sugar. But, there are two big differences. The first — unsurprisingly — is the inclusion of peppermint extract in both the frosting and the cookie dough. The second is the exclusion of eggs from the dough. By excluding eggs, a baker can ensure that the minty dough is safe to eat before being cooked. Plus, it is an easy way to make sure that their cookies crumble just right. After putting the cookies in the oven, pushing through the temptation of staring at them while they were cooking, I began to work on the frosting. It consists of a simple mix of milk, butter, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract. 

I frosted the warm, fragrant cookies after they cooled on a wire baking tray. While the cookies were cooling off, I passed the time waiting to frost by crushing up peppermint candies to put on top of the finished product. After they finally cooled and were frosted generously, I sprinkled the candy over the top cookies and let it settle into the rich frosting. Finally, I decorated the serving tray with peppermints and candy canes as I strategically placed the holiday treats on the metal plate. 

Overall, these cookies were a beginner’s level adventure. My grandma agreed with me, stating “These are really simple to prepare and bake.” But, the taste is what matters most when it comes to food. So, I shared the cookies with the rest of my family to see their reactions. The cookies were enjoyed by both my sister and my dad. My dad went on to say that “The texture of the peppermint candy went well with the cookie.” So, it might be worth it to bite into this fresh recipe and try something new this holiday season. Regardless, adding this recipe to the holidays will certainly make them sweeter.