Follow these easy steps to create your peppermint chocolate chip cookies:

1. Preheat the Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures that your cookies bake evenly.

2. Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add Eggs and Extracts: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, incorporating them thoroughly. Then add the vanilla and peppermint extracts, mixing until well combined.

4. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined.

5. Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

6. Scoop the Dough: Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop rounded balls of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, leaving enough space between each to allow for spreading.

7. Add Peppermint Candy Topping: If desired, sprinkle a few crushed peppermint candies on top of each cookie for an extra festive touch.

8. Bake: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers may look slightly underbaked, but they’ll firm up as they cool.

9. Cool on Wire Racks: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

10. Store: Once cool, you can store the cookies in an airtight container for several days, though they probably won’t last long!

With this step-by-step guide, you’ll find that creating peppermint chocolate chip cookies is not only simple but also incredibly rewarding.