Ingredients

• 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
• 1 3.9 ounces instant chocolate fudge pudding mix dry (unprepared)
• 1/4 cup white flour
• 1 18.4 ounces fudge brownie mix**
• 1 3.5 ounces Ghirardelli peppermint bark bar
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
• Optional: 1/3 cup white chocolate chips, peppermint crunch sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl fitted to a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until completely smooth. They must both be at room temperature — do not melt or soften in the microwave of your cookies will flatten more/ be less thick. Just leave out for about 45 minutes to an hour and they’ll be perfect!
3. Beat in the large egg and vanilla (OR peppermint extract to taste — see note).
4. Beat in the pudding mix (do not prepare), and flour.
5. Beat in the fudge brownie mix. It will be EXTREMELY thick and takes a while to get a dough to form. This is intended Just keep mixing and it will all come together even though it seems like it won’t.
6. Coarsely chop the peppermint bark bar. Stir in the chopped peppermint bark bar (reserve a few pieces to press in the top), chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips (if desired).
7. Scoop out cookies using a cookie scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat liner.
8. Bake for 13-16 minutes. Slightly under-baking these cookies gives them an awesome taste and texture like ultra fudge-y brownies so err on the side of slightly under-baking.
9. Optional: Make them pretty! Press a few pieces of the reserved peppermint bark bar or a few extra chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies right as they come out of the oven. Sprinkle the cookies with a bit of peppermint crunch sprinkles if desired (they stick to the melted chocolate chips).

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