Peppermint Twist Cookies

Ingredients:

Dough

• 2.5 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 220 g of butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Filling

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Decoration

• 170 g of high-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• Crushed red and white peppermint candies, for topping

Preparation:

1. Dough:
   
   Sift flour, baking powder, and salt onto a piece of parchment paper or into a medium bowl; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat until fully incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in two additions until fully incorporated. Separate half of the dough, form it into a rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Filling:
   
   Add cocoa powder to the remaining dough and knead with your hands until the cocoa is fully incorporated. Form the chocolate dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Roll each piece of dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle approximately 27 x 20 cm. Place the rolled out dough in the refrigerator for another 20 minutes.
5. Place the vanilla dough on top of the chocolate dough, then remove all but the bottom sheet of parchment. Using the parchment, roll the dough into a tight log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and freeze until completely firm, about 1-2 hours.
6. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Using a sharp knife, trim 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) off each end of the roll to reveal a beautiful spiral pattern. Slice the roll into 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) thick slices, making about 34 total. Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the tops of the cookies are opaque, about 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Once the cookies have cooled, melt the white chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds, until smooth. Dip the cookies halfway in the chocolate, then sprinkle or roll in crushed peppermint candies. Let the chocolate set and serve.