Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookie Series

Well, hello. Still here, hmmm? Is that because I've failed to offer you something truly wow-worthy. I hope not. I hope it's because you just can't get enough. Nutmeg and chocolate, sugar and coffee, cardamom and cocoa.

Is it possible to overdose on cookies? Not likely.

But if you're still looking for that cookie that will really class things up, you'll be pleased with today's offering.

We begin by baking a chocolate dough heavy with mint. This is what you would find on the inside of a thin mint without the partially hydrogenated oils and green-sashed soliciting. Cooled out of the oven, they are then submerged in white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed peppermints.

Those red striped candies that are fished out of your granny's purse during church to keep little mouths busy transmit this cookie into sugared mint bliss, encased in creamy perfection.

Not only does this recipe deliver a very distinct flavor profile, it's a pretty one. Like little petite fours, these beauties sit atop the plate as princesses in their icy candy crusted castle. This is a cookie with class, which is what you would expect of a recipe from the repertoire of the esteemed Martha Stewart. I've made these for several years and have a few notes to help you get through this labor heavy project with ease.

1: Buy twice as much white chocolate as the recipe indicates. Martha must be more adept at siphoning and saving it off these cookies than I am because I always need more. Lots more.

2. Cut these small. I tried it this year and it makes a world of difference. The cookie itself is really rich, so I prefer it a smaller size anyway and it makes them much easier to coat. I used a cutter that gave me rounds that were about half dollar or quarter sized. Adjust baking time down to 7 minutes.

3. Need these in a hurry? Freeze the dough quickly for 15-20 minutes instead of waiting it out in the fridge for an hour. Roll and then load up a cookie sheet and pop it into the freezer. If the sheet wasn't warm in the first place, it'll only take maybe 10 minutes or less in a newer model freezer to get these cold enough. Between cutting out batches, store your dough back in the fridge or for short intervals in the freezer.

4. It is perfectly acceptable to bake these one day and coat them the next. They'll actually hold up better to the warmth of recently melted chocolate if they are hardened a bit in the freezer before dipping.

For a complicated cookie, these sure start simple. Just your typical cocoa profiled cookie, flanked by white chocolate decadence and a sprinkle of candy cane dust.

That pretty dough needs to firm up, so give yourself plenty of lead time on this recipe. Next up is a little roll and cut.

As I mentioned before, I like to keep these sweets petite. Like all my treats. So even though that cookie cutter is picture perfect, it's not what I used.

I used a shot glass to cut out half dollar sized rounds. Because I am one classy dame.

Bake these up and let them firm a bit on the cookie sheet. They're pretty boring at present.

Don't worry. The oh-la-la is coming.

Now for the hard part. Or the fun part, depending on your perspective. Immerse these little beauts in a white chocolate bath that'll leave them creamy and dripping with white chocolate.

Sprinkle with crushed starlight mints or candy canes and let them set for a bit in the fridge or freezer.

Take them along to your next cookie exchange and really class up the joint, okay? Do me proud.

Come back tomorrow and we'll do another one of these delightful, sugary explorations of Christmas. Almost halfway! Until then, stay sweet, friends.

Peppermint Chocolate Wafers

Ingredients (Adapted from Martha Stewart Living):

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

30 peppermint candies, crushed

2 pounds white chocolate, coarsely

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, and add egg, then yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract. Slowly add flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate (or freeze) until firm, at least 1 hour.

Roll out dough in batches on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out circles, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll and cut scraps once. Freeze cookies until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk.

Bake until cookies are dry to the touch, about 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool.

Sift crushed candy, and separate larger pieces from dust, reserving both. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Remove from heat. Dunk cookies into melted chocolate. Using a fork, turn to coat, let excess drip off, and gently scrape bottom against edge of bowl. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of either candy pieces or dust on top. Repeat, sprinkling half the cookies with pieces and the rest with dust. Refrigerate until set, up to 3 hours.