Super-dooper Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

We got this from our Bake Sale cookbook, and it went over very big at our house. Michelle made some for a parish bake sale a couple of weeks back and they were gone in a jiffy.

One nice thing about this recipe is that you don't have to go to all the trouble of making them into sandwich cookies. The simple chocolate cookie, with sugar sprinkled on it, is absolutely heavenly all by itself. They're perfect dunked into a cup of homemade Starbux-look-alike peppermint mocha (hot or iced)!

MAKES ABOUT 18 SANDWICH COOKIES

(Or, um... Well, this depends on how big you make them! We got half that, making what we considered to be reasonable-sized cookies. But, then, we're pigs. &;o) Seriously, though, you might want to double this recipe, unless you're only baking for one or two people...)

THE COOKIE PART

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

THE FILLING PART

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4- 1/12 teaspoon peppermint extract

2+ drops red food coloring

1/2 cup crushed red-and-white striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4oz.)

TO MAKE THE COOKIE PART: Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of a glass or hands, flatten each ball to a 2-inch round (edges should crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (Be careful not to over-bake or cookies will be too crisp).

Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.

TO MAKE THE FILLING: Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in a medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops of food coloring. Beat until light pink, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons of filling evenly over the flat side of 1 cookie; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.

Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (where they will stick to the filling).

Make ahead and store! They'll keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 weeks.