#ChristmasCookies Week ~ Peppermint Meltaway Cookies

Welcome to Day 5 of #ChristmasCookies week hosted by Ellen at Family Around the Table where we bring you every imaginable tasty sweet treat to get you ready for the Christmas cookie baking season!

Today is a new one for me - I've never made the meltaway style cookies before - but I was intrigued, by the name and the ingredient list! Corn starch? That MUCH?! It yields in a super tender, almost sandy like texture cookie that indeed melts away in your mouth, leaving behind a kiss of peppermint flavor and a curiosity about the texture of the cookie you just ate! I was out of peppermints, but the crunch would add some lovely contrasting texture to these very soft, tender cookies! They are pretty as a picture, and perfect for sharing with your friends and family this Christmas baking season!

See all the delicious sweet treats being shared today!

• Almond Spice Christmas Wreath Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Black Forest Brownies by Palatable Pastime
• Chewy M&M Cookies by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Chocolate Orange Blossoms by Family Around the Table
• Chocolate Marshmallow Meltaways by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Gingerbread Madeleines by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Greek Baklava by House of Nash Eats
• Honningkagehjerter by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Lemon Ginger Crinkle Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Lemon Pizzelle Della Sondra by Girl Abroad
• Grandmas Lily’s Thumbprints by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mocha Biscotti by Books n’ Cooks
• No Bake Christmas Tree Cookies by Cooking with Carlee
• No-Bake Eggless Chocolate Salami by All That’s Jas
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Simple and Savory
• Peppermint Meltaway Cookies by Making Miracles
• Peppermint Sandies by Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
• Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies by Soulfully Made
• The Old Fashioned Cookie by Making the Most of Naptime
• White Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by The Bitter Side of Sweet

Peppermint Meltaway Cookies from Cakes Cottage

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch

Frosting
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 small drop red food coloring (add a very small amount at a time, blending well after each addition until preferred shade of peppermint pink is achieved)
½ cup candy canes or hard peppermint candy, crushed (optional)

Directions

1. Cream the butter with the powdered sugar, starting low and gradually increasing to high until creamy and smooth. Turn down speed to low and add in peppermint extract, flour, and cornstarch. Blend just until combined.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Roll dough into small balls (about 3 dozen total). Place on silpat or parchment lined baking sheets and bake 10-12 minutes, or until bottom of cookies are golden brown. Cool on pan a few minutes before carefully removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.
5. When cooled, prepare frosting by whipping the butter until creamy, then adding in the powdered sugar. Start low and increase speed, add in the milk and peppermint extract and blend on high until creamy and smooth. Stir in food coloring by hand until desired color is achieved.
6. Gently frost cooled cookies (they are fragile), then add a sprinkling of crushed peppermint if desired for decoration right before serving (so the peppermint candy doesn't get soft from sitting in the frosting).