Serve up these adorably festive treats at your next holiday gathering! The peppermint cream cheese filling adds a wonderful tangy bite to the rich chocolate cookies.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium sauce pan, melt chocolate chips, butter and sugar over low heat. Stir frequently until smooth then remove from heat.

Place chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl and blend in eggs and vanilla.  
 
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder. Slowly add dry ingredient mixture to the mixing bowl, stirring as you go.
 
Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet leaving about an inch between each cookie. Dough will be very sticky so it is best to work with damp hands.
 
Bake for 8-10 minutes.

For the filling, whip cream cheese with a hand mixer in a medium mixing bowl. Incorporate vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Slowly add powdered sugar while continuing to mix until smooth.

Place candy canes into a plasic bag and crush into small pieces using a rolling pin or the bottom of a cup. Gently fold candy cane pieces into the cream cheese mixture. 

When cookies are cool, place 1-2 teaspoons of filling between the flat side of two cookies. Press together until filling reaches the edge of the cookies.