Chocolate Peppermint Filled Bonbons

Do you ever take on more than you can handle?  I certainly do - and sometimes when I do this it seems like I am out to punish myself or something!  When I do take on more than I can handle though, I always end up handling it - however the end result may not always be what I wanted and so then I am disappointed in myself.

This year I decided to participate in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  Before I realized what I was doing I had set myself up for stress.  Our deadline was December 5th, which was also the deadline for Secret Recipe Club reveal day.  I also have been out straight at my job, have had a hard time sleeping past 3:30 am, and dead tired when I get home in the evening.  If I didn't go to the gym at 5 am - I would never get there!  However, my last weekend home before our cruise and also the last weekend I had before shipping off the cookies, I spent making cookies.  Then, wouldn't you know it, I read the directions wrong and made 3 dozen of 3 kinds of cookies!  ha ha.  That's what I get for stressing myself out!

What it did for the recipients of my cookie exchange though was give them an extra surprise in their box when they opened it!  The rest of the cookies, I put in my freezer for gifts to give later!  Please click the link on the Cardamon Sugar Crisp photo for this recipe.

My recipients were Allison of Decadent Philistines Save the World, Denise Oviedo of addicted to recipes, and Madeline Olin of Thursday Night Baking.  I hope they enjoyed the cookies I sent them!

I received two packages before I left for my vacation.  I still hadn't received the third one before I left on Saturday morning so I can't tell you who the third person was or what they sent me.  My neighbor has agreed to open the box, take a photo, and eat the cookies for me.  🙂  Thanks Auntie Jill (as Grumpy calls her!).

My first box I received was from Michelle of delishiono.  She sent me Brown Butter Holiday Spice Cookies - and they were delish!  They reminded me of a snickerdoodle.  I took these to work and shared with co-workers and one in particular said he could smell cookies and I'm pretty certain he had more than one.  Of course, I had to admit to everyone that I was not the baker this time!  lol  Great job Michelle and thank you!

The second box I received was from Kathy of Panini Happy!  I was so excited when I saw who my cookies were from.  I have been reading Kathy's blogs now ever since I started blogging.  I really love her Panini Happy Blog (she also writes another blog Cooking on the Side that is also fabulous!) Kathy also is one of the first people who's blog I made something from in my first year of blogging.  I made her Buffalo Chicken Panini in August of 2008 - and it was a great hit with both Grumpy & me!  It was a very special treat to have received the delicious chocolate thumbprints you sent!  A few were eaten here and the evening before we left for vacation I sent the rest home with the neighbors little boy who was tickled pink to get them!

To whomever the 3rd person was - I'm really sorry to have missed your cookies...I'm sure they were delicious and that my neighbor's kids were thrilled to have them!

Chocolate Peppermint Filled Bonbons

Ingredients:
½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-¼ cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
12 Dove Chocolate Peppermint Candies, cut in 4 pieces
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons milk (more if needed for drizzle consistency)

Instructions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix ½ cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla until creamy. Stir in flour and salt until dough holds together.

Mold portions of dough around pieces of peppermint patty to form 1 inch balls.  On ungreased cookie sheet place balls about 1 inch apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until set but not brown.  You can roll these in powdered sugar while still warm or drizzle with a chocolate icing.

To make the icing, mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar with the 1 tablespoon of coco and 2 tablespoons of milk.  Mix together until smooth. Place in sandwich bag, clip corner, drizzle away!