Chocolate Peppermint YiaYia Cookies
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This festive holiday cookie is a take on the classic Greek cookies my YiaYia made growing up. These Chocolate Peppermint YiaYia Cookies are buttery, sweet, melt in your mouth chocolate cookies that are covered in powdered sugar.
If you're looking for more holiday cookies, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like my Frosted Gingerbread, Peppermint Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies, or my Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies.
Table of Contents
What is a YiaYia Cookie?
YiaYia means Grandma in Greek, I am Greek on my dad's side, so we called his mom YiaYia. You pronounce it like Yiy-Yiya. And my YiaYia made the best cookies — traditional Greek cookies. There were only two kinds, but we couldn't pronounce either one of them as kids, so we called them both YiaYia Cookies!
This recipe is a spin off the traditional Kourambiethes cookie (pronounced KorUm-bI-ethies). YiaYia made them with pecans and some without (for us kids!). I have my traditional recipe for Kourambiethes in my book Cookies for Everyone. But, because it is the holidays, I thought a chocolate peppermint version would be absolutely amazing — and it is! These cookies are similar to an Italian wedding cookie or a snowball, but they are so much better. These are not dry like those cookies can be, and they just melt in your mouth.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Greek Inspired: This recipe is inspired by my YiaYia's cookies growing up. The traditional Greek cookies Kourambiethes are the inspiration for this recipe. While the traditional ones don't have chocolate or peppermint, the texture and essence of the recipe is the same. If you want to try a more traditional take on them, check out my Cinnamon Pecan YiaYia Cookies.
Melt In Your Mouth: These are melt in your mouth! While many wedding cookies or snowballs can be dry and crumbly, these are a melt in your mouth experience.
Holiday Cookies: These are holiday inspired with the chocolate and peppermint!
Ingredients
Florida Crystals Organic Powdered Sugar
Frontier Co-Op Organic Peppermint Flavor
Simply Organic Vanilla Extract
NuNaturals Organic Dutch Cocoa Powder
Tools Needed
Baking Sheet Half Sheet Pan (use code MIMIBAKES for 10% off my favorite stainless steel sustainable bakeware!)
Parchment Paper (get my favorite nontoxic parchment paper and get 10% off with MIMIBAKES)
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, whiskey, and egg yolk. Mix on low until combined but chunks of butter remain visible.
Add the cake flour and sea salt, and mix on low until combined into a smooth dough; it should feel like play dough in your hands.
Step 3
Using your hands, form the dough into 48 balls and place them close together on the prepared cookie sheets (they won’t spread while baking, so 24 should fit on each cookie sheet). Flatten each ball slightly. They should look like disks that are about 2 inches in diameter.
Step 4
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until set and dry. Let cool completely on the cookie sheets. Sift powdered sugar generously over the tops of the cookies.
Baker's Tips
- Make sure your butter is soft. It should be soft enough that if you squish it, it squishes easily. I like to leave butter out on the counter overnight to let it soften at room temperature. But, if you are going to soften butter in the microwave, do not do more than 30 seconds per 1 pound of butter.
- Make sure to use a peppermint flavor that you like. My favorite is Frontier Co-Op Organic Peppermint Flavor, and you can find it here.
- Cake flour is essential for these cookies. So, this is definitely needed and don't replace it with all purpose flour or anything else. I make my own organic cake flour because it's so easy and it's the only organic option! Try my recipe for Homemade Cake Flour.
- It's important to wait until these cookies cool before covering them in powdered sugar. If you put the powdered sugar on and they are too warm, it will just melt in. You want the powdered sugar to be a complete coating on the cookies, because it's the best part!
FAQ's
Yes, just add 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt to the recipe.
Store in a cool dry place. They are best if just left out on a platter on the counter.
Craving More?
Chocolate Peppermint YiaYia Cookies
Ingredients
Dough
- 454 grams salted butter (softened)
- 142 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 teaspoons peppermint flavor
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- 567 grams cake flour
- 71 grams Dutch cocoa powder (sifted)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attach ment, add the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, whis key, and egg yolk. Mix on low until combined but chunks of butter remain visible.
- Add the cake flour and sea salt, and mix on low until combined into a smooth dough; it should feel like play dough in your hands.
- Using your hands, form the dough into 48 balls and place them close together on the prepared cookie sheets (they won’t spread while baking, so 24 should fit on each cookie sheet). Flatten each ball slightly. They should look like disks that are about 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until set and dry. Let cool completely on the cookie sheets.
- Sift powdered sugar generously over the tops of the cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
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