Homemade Candy Cane Joe-Joe's are my personal response to "seasonal" items at the grocery store.
As a person with common sense, I get the premise behind only selling certain items seasonally. Most people aren't going to want baked goods packed with peppermint (or pumpkin, or maple, or any other seasonal flavor) in the middle of June, and only selling these goods for a short period of time when the demand for them is the highest just makes good business sense. Just think about everyone's demand for pumpkin recipes beginning each year on September 1st and how many Pumpkin Spice Lattes Starbucks sells during the fall: an average of 20 million each year.
And yet, as a consumer…sometimes I do want maple recipes after Thanksgiving. Occasionally I find myself thinking about pumpkin during the summer. Every now and then I catch my mind wandering to peppermint in the middle of February. But according to retailers, my cravings are "out of season" and thus, impossible to satiate.
To that I say, "No more."
My love of Trader Joe's knows no bounds, and their line of seasonal items is, undoubtedly, one of the best around. I know many a person who goes crazy over their seasonal offerings, and one in particular drives people to near insanity: Candy Cane Joe-Joe's. Essentially TJ's version of a mint Oreo, Candy Cane Joe-Joe's are made up of crisp dark chocolate cookies filled with a peppermint crème filling, enhanced with bits of peppermint candies.
These little cookies are nearly impossible to keep on the shelves; the sell out almost immediately, and are only "in season" for a short time. That means unless you want to make a name for yourself by stalking your local Trader Joe's, you are likely to miss the boat and fail to get your hands on a box of these peppermint-flavored treats.
And so, for those who missed out – or who do not have a Trader Joe's just down the street – I set to work recreating the well-loved Candy Cane Joe-Joe. Make these for your family this Christmas – or for yourself in the middle of February. Your secret is safe with me! Everyone loves a Peppermint Candy Cane Cookie, right?
Looking for more Winter wonderful cookie recipes? Try Rachel's Red Velvet Cookies Recipe!
Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cookies:- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 6 tablespoons peppermint candy, crushed, or candy canes
Directions
For the Cookies:
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on the lowest speed until just combined.
- Divide dough into two portions; shape each portion into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Once the dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Remove one portion of the dough from the fridge; unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter (between 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter) to cut out cookies and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake cookies for 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Filling:
- In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar and salt, then add the milk and the extracts. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the crushed peppermint candies until well combined.
- Place filling in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, or a zip-top bag with the corner cut out. Pipe filling onto half of the cookies, and gently top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches.
via Food Fanatic http://www.foodfanatic.com/2013/12/homemade-candy-cane-joe-joes-peppermint-perfection/
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