Chocolate Mint Cookies

My family has made this recipe every Christmas since I can remember. Before I was of much use in the kitchen, my job was to unwrap the Andes Mints. Now I bark at people who come in my kitchen and eat from the bowl of unwrapped Andes Mints. Too much unwrapping has hardened me…

One batch makes 5 dozen cookies, so it’s a GREAT option for a cookie exchange or just big batch baking. The dough is SUPER easy to freeze ahead (easiest in dough ball form – bake from frozen adding 2 or 3 minutes). The chocolate cookie portion doesn’t contain any mint, so it’s just the most moist, chewy chocolate cookie you’ve ever had. The Andes Mint gets swirled on top so you bite through the hard surface to the chocolate beneath. I generally prefer choc-caramel, choc-banana, or choc-pb to the chocolate mint combo – and I hope this goes to show how amazing these cookies are.

At a Christmas party this past weekend that I’d brought the cookies to, I told my friend they were my fave cookie and she had to try them. She isn’t one to be bossed around with food (or over-indulge for that matter), so when she went back for a second one I knew she was hooked (especially since the dessert buffet was laden with delish choices including that saltine cracker chocolate caramel crack item – you know the one).

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Makes 5 dozen

3/4 c. unsalted butter (12 tbsp. or one and 1/2 sticks)

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

2 tbsp. water

2 c. (12 oz) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs, room temperature

2 (6 oz) boxes of Andes Mints, unwrapped and halved (you will need about 1 1/2 boxes)

Red and Green sprinkles or Jimmies or decor of your choice

1. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, combine butter, brown sugar, water and chocolate chips. Stir until smooth and melted.

2. Transfer to a bowl and cool at room temperature about 10 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat in eggs, then slowly add in dry ingredients.

5. Chill dough 1 hour (or up to several days) in fridge.

6. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.

7. Arrange cookies 12 per sheet (3 by 4), evenly spacing balls. If planning to freeze dough, put all dough balls on a cookie sheet into the freezer and freeze for about an hour. Then, put all the balls in a large plastic freezer ziplock bag. Bake from frozen, adding two to three minutes on timer.

8. Bake 8 minutes. As soon cookies come out of the oven, put one Andes Mint half on each cookie.

9. After five minutes, swirl melted Andes Mint with the back of a small spoon.

10. While mint is still soft, add sprinkles/jimmies.

11. Cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

12. Cookies will keep up to a week in an air tight container at room temperature.