Triple Chocolate Molten Peppermint Cookies

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Whisk in butter, vanilla, and peppermint. Scrape into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on surface. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
3. In a large bowl, stir together flour, chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, baking soda, and salt.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
5. With machine on low speed, add dry ingredients a little at a time. Mix just until a dough forms. Divide dough into 2 balls and flatten into round discs. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
6. Between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, roll out each piece of dough to ¼” thick. Using a 2½” cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible, rerolling dough up to 3 times and cutting out more rounds.
7. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Place 2 teaspoons pastry cream in the center of half the cookies (there will be pastry cream left over). Top each with the remaining cookies, sealing edges. Transfer to prepared baking sheets placing 6 cookies on each sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes.
9. Bake 12-15 minutes or until set and dry to the touch, switching oven racks halfway through baking. Let cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake remaining cookies.
10. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat white chocolate in 30-second bursts, stirring after each, until melted. Drizzle cookies with white chocolate and sprinkle with peppermint candies.
11. Cookies are best the day they’re made.