Festive Christmas Cookie Charcuterie Board with Peppermint Glaze

This christmas cookie charcuterie board comes together in one hour, with golden peppermint cookies, glossy pink glaze and crackling candy cane. Every bite tastes like the holidays, and it looks like you spent all day.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, and let the egg reach room temperature first. That airy base is why these cookies bake up tender and golden instead of flat.

Ingredients You'll Need

All-purpose flour: This is the sturdy base that keeps these cookies soft in the middle. Spoon it into your cup and level it off so you don't pack in extra. Cake flour gives a more tender bite if you have it.

Baking soda: A small amount lifts the dough and helps the edges turn golden. Don't swap in baking powder without changing the amount. Use about three times as much baking powder, which is a bit of a leap, so bake one test cookie first.

Fine sea salt: Salt sharpens the sweetness and keeps the cookies from tasting flat. Fine sea salt melts into the flour evenly. Fine table salt works too, but it's saltier by volume, so use a little less.

Unsalted butter: Softened butter creams with sugar to trap air, which is what makes these cookies tender and airy. Unsalted lets you control the salt. Salted butter works, so just skip or reduce the sea salt.

Granulated sugar: It creams with the butter to build that pale, fluffy base and helps the edges brown. Caster sugar is a good swap because it dissolves faster. Brown sugar makes the cookies chewier and darker.

Large egg: The egg binds the dough and adds richness. Let it sit out until it's room temperature so it blends smoothly into the butter. A flax egg works in a pinch, but the cookies turn more crumbly.

Vanilla extract: It adds warm, rounded flavor that sits nicely beside the peppermint. Pure vanilla tastes deeper than imitation, so it's worth the small splurge. Vanilla bean paste works in the same amount.

Powdered sugar: Sifted powdered sugar turns into a smooth, thick base for the pink glaze. Sifting removes the lumps so the glaze sets glossy. Confectioners' sugar is the same thing under another name.

Heavy cream: It loosens the sugar into a glaze that pours but still holds its shape on the cookie. Whole milk works, but the glaze will be thinner and less rich. Add it a teaspoon at a time.

Peppermint extract: This brings the cool, bright candy-cane flavor to the glaze. You only need a quarter teaspoon, so a little goes a long way. Mint extract is milder, so the flavor will be softer.

Red gel food coloring: Two drops give the glaze a soft, festive pink. Gel is concentrated, so it tints without thinning the glaze. Liquid food coloring works, but add it one drop at a time.

White chocolate chips: Melted and drizzled over the cookies, they add a creamy, sweet finish. Stir between short bursts so they stay smooth and glossy. A chopped white chocolate bar melts just as smoothly.

Candy canes: Crushed into coarse pieces, they add crunch and a cool peppermint snap across the board. Seal them in a zip bag and tap with a rolling pin. Crushed peppermint bark is a fine stand-in.

Holiday sprinkles: They add color and a little crunch in festive shapes. Scatter them so every cookie gets a bit. Nonpareils or any mix of red, green and white sprinkles works.

How to Make It (Step by Step)

Bake a batch of golden peppermint cookies, glaze them pink, then build the board with white chocolate and candy cane.

Even if you've never melted chocolate before, you'll nail it, and your friends will think you planned all week.

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment until the paper lies flat and the oven is fully hot, about 10 minutes.

2. Whisk the spooned and leveled all-purpose flour, baking soda and fine sea salt in a medium bowl at room temperature (70°F / 21°C) until no streaks remain, about 30 seconds.

3. Cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until pale, fluffy and velvety, 2-3 minutes at room temperature (70°F / 21°C).

4. Beat the room-temperature large egg and vanilla extract into the creamed butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth and fully blended, 30-45 seconds at room temperature (70°F / 21°C).

5. Add the flour mixture on low speed and mix until a soft, cohesive dough forms with no dry streaks, 30-60 seconds at room temperature (70°F / 21°C).

6. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the lined sheets, spaced apart, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 9-11 minutes until edges turn golden-brown and centers look just set.

7. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack until firm to the touch, about 20 minutes at room temperature (70°F / 21°C).

8. Whisk the sifted powdered sugar, heavy cream, peppermint extract and 2 drops red gel food coloring in a small bowl until smooth, thick and pale pink, 1-2 minutes at room temperature (70°F / 21°C).

9. Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring between 20-second bursts, until smooth and glossy, 1-2 minutes at 110°F (43°C) or less.

10. Spoon the pink glaze over the cooled cookies, arrange them on a wooden board, drizzle melted white chocolate, and scatter coarsely crushed candy cane pieces and mixed holiday sprinkles until the drizzle sets, 10-15 minutes at 70°F (21°C).

Keep cooled cookies in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to five days. Glaze them the day you serve, so the pink stays glossy and the edges stay tender.

Serving size: 1 portion · Calories: 310 · Total Fat: 15g · Saturated Fat: 9g · Carbs: 41g · Fiber: 1g · Sugar: 27g · Protein: 4g · Sodium: 160mg

Tips and Tricks

• Equipment: Use a wire rack: Move the cookies to a wire rack after five minutes so air circulates and the bottoms stay crisp instead of soggy.

• Temperature precision: Melt chocolate at 110°F (43°C) or less: Stir in 20-second bursts. Stop once it looks smooth and glossy, before it turns grainy and seizes.

• Common mistake: Adding water to melting chocolate: One drop of water makes white chocolate seize into a stiff, grainy clump. Keep your bowl and spatula completely dry.

• Flavour upgrade: A pinch of flaky salt: Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the wet white chocolate drizzle. The salty edge makes the peppermint taste brighter and more festive.

• Texture tip: Keep the glaze thick: Whisk until the glaze holds a soft ribbon. A thin glaze runs off the cookie and leaves a dull, patchy surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these Christmas cookies gluten-free without changing the flavor much?

Yes, use 2 ¾ cups cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend containing xanthan gum in place of the wheat flour, spooned and leveled the same way.

Can I freeze the cookie dough ahead for this Christmas cookie charcuterie board?

Yes, scoop rounded tablespoons onto a sheet, freeze until solid, then store in a freezer bag for up to three months. Bake straight from frozen at 375°F (190°C), adding 1-2 minutes to the 9-11 minute bake.

Why does my peppermint glaze run off the cookies instead of staying put?

Your glaze is too thin, so whisk in more sifted powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time. Stop when it coats the back of a spoon and holds a firm pink line.

What to Serve With This

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