Chocolate mint cookies
Thin mint Girl Guide cookies were always a favourite of mind. I ran across this recipe and was instantly sold by its relative ease, along with its classic flavor combination. When I started planning my recent dessert party, I wanted to try to introduce more smaller desserts (as my usual tendency is to rock the pies and elaborate desserts that people are more reluctant to dig into). These cookies would serve me well.
Recipe
from Bon Appetit Desserts
1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
Whisk flour, cocoa and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in peppermint and vanilla extracts. Beat in sugar in 3 additions. Add egg and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat until just blended (dough will be sticky).
Divide dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using plastic as an aid, form dough on each into 2" diameter logs. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate dough until well chilled, at least 2 hours. Can be made 1 day ahead.
Position 1 rack in top third of the oven and 1 in the center. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 heavy rimmed backing sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap logs; roll briefly on the surface to smooth the surface. Cut logs crosswise into ¼" thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets, spacing about 1" apart. Bake cookies until tops and edges are dry to touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer baking sheets with cookies to rack and cool completely,
Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool melted chocolate until slightly thickened but still pourable, about 10 minutes. Dip fork into melted chocolate and wave fork back and forth over cookies, drizzling melted chocolate thickly in zig zag pattern. Chill cookies on baking sheets until chocolate is set, about 10 minutes.
Musings
These were absolutely delightful! Chewy, with that delicious chocolate-mint flavour. It took me right back to those Girl Guide cookies of yesteryear, and I was soon grabbing for seconds and fifths. I'll need to work on my chocolate drizzling skills, but they otherwise came together very easily and were a hit at the party (and subsequently at work the next day. A winning recipe in my book.