Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lining your baking sheets with parchment paper will ensure that your cookies come off easily once baked.
In a large bowl, combine the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat them together until the mixture is light and fluffy—about 2-3 minutes. This helps incorporate air, which is crucial for a light cookie texture.
Next, add your eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then pour in the vanilla extract and peppermint extract, ensuring everything is blended smoothly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. This ensures that the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, which results in cookies that bake uniformly.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to your wet mixture. Mix until just combined—overmixing can lead to tough cookies, and nobody wants that.
Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candies. The key is to mix them in without breaking the cookies’ delicate structure.
Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving adequate space between each cookie, as they will spread.
Put the cookie trays in your preheated oven. They should bake for about 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on them; they should look soft in the center when you take them out.
Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, sprinkle the tops with crushed candy canes. Let them cool for a few