Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies

I guess Nieman Marcus has a Christmas cookie that has peppermint bark in them. I have never had them but heard about them so thought why can't I make my favorite Chocolate Chip cookie recipe and add my own homemade peppermint bark. And here they are....



2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peppermint bark - broken up into fairly small pieces (homemade recipe below but store bought is fine too)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In one bowl, whisk flour and baking soda and set aside. In a larger bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Blend in the pudding mix until smooth, then the vanilla and eggs. Slowly work the flour mixture in. Finally, add chocolate chips and peppermint bark.

Make them into little balls and drop them onto your cookie sheet (or just spoon drop on to cookie sheet). You can flatten them a little, because these don't spread very much. But I really like puffy cookies so I don't flatten many of them. Even flattening them though they still make pretty rounded cookies. They keep their size and shape really well. Bake for 12-14 minute


Peppermint Bark
2 lbs. white almond bark (1 package - I think that is 2 lbs)
1 1/2 c. crushed peppermint candy

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper (I use a jelly roll pan). Break and cut bark into smaller pieces and place in 2 quart bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes and stir and then microwave 2 to 1 minute(s). Stir every 1 to 2 minutes and repeat process until pieces are completely melted. Crush either peppermint candy canes or peppermint hard candy in blender until in very small pieces or close to a powder. Mix hard crushed candy with melted white almond bark. Spread on lined cookie sheet. Let it harden and break into pieces. I break some in small pieces for the cookies and the rest in larger pieces to serve as candy.