peppermint-dark chocolate chippers

Ingredients
2-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (or Earth Balance, which is what I used) at room temp. 3/4 cup sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw, like always) 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt (ONLY if you used the unsalted butter) 2 teaspoons peppermint extract 2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup applesauce) 2 cups dark chocolate chips (vegans -- these will also work perfectly if you can't find dark chocolate that's dairy free)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Whisk together flour and baking soda in a bowl.
  3. Put butter (or Earth Balance) and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy; about 2 minutes.
  4. Reduce speed to low. Add salt (if you used unsalted butter), peppermint extract, and eggs (or applesauce), and mix until combined; about 1 minute.
  5. Add flour mixture and mix until JUST combined.
  6. Stir in chocolate chips.
  7. Drop heaping tablespoons (and, yes, I measured them out -- see above -- to be that size for once) onto a nonstick baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
  8. Bake cookies until centers are set and edges are golden -- about 10 to 12 minutes. Be sure to rotate sheets halfway through the backing process.
  9. Let cool on sheets for 2 minutes . . . and then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
  10. Store cookies in airtight containers (they should be good for up to 1 week!)