Red Velvet Peppermint Cookies

So here's how this cookie began.  I had planned all morning to make sugar cookies so that the twins and I could decorate them after their nap.  After I'd gotten the girls all comfy in their beds, I rushed downstairs to mix the sugar cookie dough.  I opened the pantry door and reached for what looked like a 1/2 full bag of flour.  Unfortunately, what I found was that I had maybe 1/2 cup of flour.  I was a little sad because I had my heart set on making cookies.  I decided to google what I could use to substitute the flour.  I found that you can use cake mix as a base for cookies.  My heart leaped with joy when I remembered that I had a box of red velvet cake mix left over from the twins birthday.  My head began to fill with the endless possibilities that could make the red velvet cookie the most amazing Christmas cookie ever.  Okay, although it will most likely not be the most amazing Christmas cookie ever, a girl can dream right?  Lol!

This is a super easy recipe, so you should definitely try it out.

I started out by setting my oven to 350 degrees F.  I then dumped an 18 oz. box of red velvet cake mix into the beloved mixer.  I then added 1 egg, 1/2 c. butter, and 2 tbsp. of water.  I gave it a good mix, and realized I would definitely need a lil' flour...the dough was still a lil' gooey.  I didn't measure the flour, I just shock a bit in there, but I would say it was approximately 1/4 c.  Feel free to add more if it's needed.

Once it was just right, I spooned the dough onto a greased cookie sheet.  Once the whole cookie sheet was full,  I popped those little lovelies (which actually look kind of like raw hamburger patties in this picture, lol) into the oven for approximately 12 minutes.  After they where done baking, I cooled them on wire racks lined with wax paper.  

While the cookies where cooling, I whipped up some frosting, and added several drops of red food coloring.  While the cookies continued to cool, the frosting chilled in the refrigerator.  

For the peppermint decoration, I broke up several candy canes and placed them in a coffee grinder.  The grinder ground the candy canes into peppermint powder, which is ohhhhh so yummy, and can also be used to spice up your hot cocoa.  I placed the powder in a bowl, and then moved onto make chunkier pieces of peppermint.  I again broke up several candy canes, but this time I placed them in a ziploc bag. 

If you need to get some aggression out, you'll really appreciate this next step.  Make sure to close up your ziploc nice and tight.  Take a hammer and go at the candy cane until it's broken into chunky pieces.

By this point, the twins where up from their naps, and ready to decorate the little beauties.  

Emma was excited to see the decorations, and was ready to dig in.

As it turns out, Emma thought we should decorate all of them, and then eat all of them.  Once she found out that we would not be eating all of them, she ate her 2 cookies and left me to decorate alone.  

To decorate, I spread the frosting on, sprinkled a lil' peppermint powder, and lastly sprinkled some chunky peppermint over the top.  Voila...Red Velvet Peppermint cookies!!!!!

When my husband came home, he lovingly said "These are the best Christmas cookies ever".  No joke, he loved them!!!!  I'm so excited, and will have to make these annually now!  I think they'd also be great with cream cheese frosting!!  

Red Velvet Peppermint Cookie Recipe:

1 18 oz. box of red velvet cake mix (you can use any type of cake mix you'd like).

1/2 c. butter

1 egg

2 tbsp. water

Approximately 1/4 c. all purpose flour

Martha Stewart Whipped Frosting Recipe:

3 large egg whites

3/4 c. sugar

pinch of salt

1/3 c. water

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

4 or 5 drops of red food coloring

Decorations:

1 box of candy canes