Mint Chocolate Cookies

If you love the combination of mint and chocolate, then you’re going to adore these cookies that I’ve created.  Delicious chocolate wafer cookies get sandwiched between a perfect fudgy center that is minty and so flavorful.  Don't blame me if you find yourself eating a spoonful of it as your making the little bites.  Each cookie then gets several squiggles of melted white chocolate which is enhanced with some peppermint extract for a boost in flavor.  

We all know those thin mint cookies which get sold every year by the girl scouts.  Some of us buy boxes of them and make no mistake, those classic cookies are here to stay because they're so good.  However, there’s no reason to have to wait for them if you want to have a mint chocolate cookie any other time of the year.  Follow my recipe for a treat that’s downright delectable in its sophistication and make them the next time you want an ultra ultra cookie in the cookie jar.  They're great for bake sales, by the way, or for sharing with a loved one on the weekend when you're reading the paper with a steaming cup of cappuccino.

Forty sandwich cookies are enough for a small crowd of cookie monsters, but if your friends & family really adore mint chocolate cookies then make a double batch.  

You know you want to!

Mint Chocolate Cookie Ingredients

• 3 cups {390 g.} all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups {80 g.} dutch-process cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon {3.75 ml.} fine sea salt
• 18 tablespoons or 2 sticks+2 tablespoons {254 g.} unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups {345 g.} granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons {10 ml.} pure vanilla extract

Yield: 80 two-inch wafer cookies

Equipment: 4 baking sheets lined with silpats or parchment

1. In a medium bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, dutch-process cocoa powder and fine sea salt; combine well.  

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until malleable & creamy, about 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl.  On medium speed, add the granulated sugar in a steady stream and beat until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.  Stop and scrape the bowl & paddle at least once during this process.

3. Add the egg and beat on medium speed until emulsified, about 1 minute.  Beat in the vanilla extract.  

4. On low speed, add the dry ingredients and beat until a cohesive dough forms.  Remove the bowl & paddle, and divide the cookie dough in half.  Wrap well in plastic wrap, forming the dough into flat disks.  Chill the dough for at least 2 hours before baking.

Note: the cookie dough must be chilled before baking.  You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but if you want to keep it longer, freeze it in a resealable freezer bag.

5.  When ready to roll out the cookie dough, remove one disk of dough and let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes.  Roll out the cookie dough on a floured surface to 1/8" in thickness and cut out rounds using a 2" cookie cutter.  For a complete how-to in rolling out cookie dough, click [here].  On a regular baking sheet, you will be able to fit 20 cookies per sheet.  Space them with about 1" apart from each other.  Continue with the second disk of cookie dough.  You can reroll any scraps.  

6.  Chill the cut out cookies for 20-30 minutes.

Center racks & preheat the oven to

350° F (177°C)

7. Bake the cookies in the center rack for 10-12 minutes.  The cookies should feel set on top.  Remove from the oven and let the cookies firm for at least 2 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to racks to cool completely.

Mint Chocolate Filling Ingredients

• 6 oz. {175 g.} bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I use a good quality chocolate chip)
• 1 tablespoon {14 g.} unsalted butter
• 4 oz. or 1/2 cup {120 ml.} heavy cream, room temperature
• 1 cup {110 g.} confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon {5 ml.} pure peppermint extract

1. In a double boiler or a heatproof bowl, add the bittersweet chocolate and unsalted butter.  Set it over a saucepan of simmering water and melt the mixture completely.  Stir it occasionally so that everything is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat (be careful that you don't let condensation fall into the bowl) and add the heavy cream.  Stir with a spatula until smooth & creamy.  

3. Sift the confectioners' sugar over the melted chocolate ganache.  Add the peppermint extract.  Using the spatula, stir the mixture until it is very smooth.  Remove any lumps.

4.  Let the ganache sit for at least 10-15 minutes so that it firms up; stir it occasionally with the spatula.  You want a thick consistency very much like a frosting for piping onto the cookies.

5.  When ready, fill a 12" piping bag fitted with a 1/2" open round tip with the mint chocolate filling.  

Constructing the Cookies

Flip half of the chocolate wafer cookies upside down and pipe a generous silver dollar size amount of mint chocolate filling.  Using another chocolate wafer cookie, sandwich each cookie.  Apply a bit of pressure so that the filling comes to the edge of the cookies.  Don't let it ooze out.

Set the cookies aside to firm up.  The sweet edibles are good just the way they are at this point, but if you want fancier cookies, keep reading.

Mint White Chocolate Topping

•  4 oz. {120 g.} white chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon {2.5 ml.} pure peppermint extract

1.  Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler and add the peppermint extract.

2. Either use a disposable pastry bag or a zip-top sandwich bag to pipe (using a sandwich bag makes this a cinch).  Fill your bag with the melted white chocolate and seal shut.  Snip off a very small end of the bag to pipe.

3. Pipe white chocolate over the top surface of each cookie in a haphazard fashion or try your hand at a bit of fancy artwork if you wish.  

Let the white chocolate topping firm up before packaging them up or storing them in the cookie jar.  The recipe yields 40 sandwich cookies.  

Mint Chocolate Cookies

are a favorite Good Thing.

Enjoy!

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