Thin Mint Cookies For The Win!

Yeah we survived the holidays. Here is the final cookie recipe for 2017, as well as the last recipe post on this blog for the year. I'm pretty happy, well ecstatic that I was able to post over 52 different baking recipes on this blog for the year. I also look forward to 2018 because I will introduce more savory bakes as well. I'm excited. Well for today we went with a chocolate mint shortbread cookie dipped in chocolate. You know a Thin Mint cookie. I think they taste just as good as the girl scout ones. They are a little thicker so you don't have to eat as many. I made these for a Christmas Eve party so check them out and everyone ate them. I was barely able to get a picture of the finished product.

Thin Mint Cookies

Thin Mint Cookies

• 1 cup (8 oz, or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutched dark cocoa powder which worked well)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (fluff the flour before scooping and leveling the cup, too much flour will result in a dry dough)
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips (or whatever chocolate variety you prefer)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of crisco, or coconut oil ( to thin chocolate for dipping)
• crushed peppermint (optional for garnish)

Preheat your oven to 350F

Cream butter until light and fluffy

Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined.

 Stir in the salt, mint extract and cocoa powder. 

Mix until the cocoa powder is integrated and the batter resembles a thick frosting.

Add the flour and mix just until the flour is combined, making sure to not over mix.

Form dough into a ball. Knead a few times to bring together, then flatten into a disk between half an inch and one inch thick, cover in plastic wrap then place in freezer for 15 minutes.

Remove dough from the freezer and roll it out really thin on a floured surface, about 1/8-inch. Cut cookies using 1 1/2-inch cutter (I used a small cordial glass that measured almost 2" and it was the perfect size).

Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake on 350F for 10 minutes.

 Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cookies bake, make the chocolate  coating. Chop the baking chocolate into very small, thin pieces. Place in a glass measuring cup or similar container along with the oil and microwave in short 15-20 second bursts. 

Gently drop the cookies, one at a time, into the coating. Turn to coat entirely, then lift the cookie out of the chocolate with the fork and bang the fork on the side of the pan until the extra coating drips off.

 Place on a parchment or plastic wrap-lined baking sheet, and repeat for the rest of the cookies. Place the cookies in the refrigerator or freezer to set. (* if you are sprinkling anything on top of your cookies you have to do it before the chocolate sets)

There you have it, yummy, minty, chocolatey goodness

close up of the peppermint goodness

Perfect winter treat

Sugar Cookies For The Win!

Ok here is cookie post number three. I decided on sugar cookies because they are also a classic christmas cookie staple. I have to be honest, sugar cookies are my least favorite cookie ever. I would say I like them a little better than oatmeal raisin. Actually out of all the christmas cookies, sugar would definitely be on the bottom. Since I enjoy baking for others, I chose sugar because I know people like them, and I figured I could practice more with royal icing. I also wanted to split the dough and do something different and make red velvet sugar cookies. Red velvet flavored anything to me screams Christmas and it is a flavor that I enjoy. I love red flavored things. I think they came out great.

Yummy Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookie Dough

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (226g)
• 1 cup sugar (200g)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315g)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer) and beat until creamy and well-combined.

Butter Butter Butter

Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until completely combined.

There is an egg in there you just can't see it.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Gradually add dry ingredients into wet until completely combined.

Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and transfer approximately half of the dough onto the wrap (dough will be quite sticky at this point, that's OK!).

This is where I added some red velvet emulsion for flavor and color to the remaining dough

Cover with clear wrap and mold into a disk.  Repeat with remaining cookie dough in another piece of cling wrap.  Transfer dough to refrigerator and chill for at least 2-3 hours

Once dough has finished chilling, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Generously dust a clean surface with flour and deposit one chilled cookie dough disk onto the surface.  Lightly flour the dough and roll out to 1/8" (for thinner, crispier cookies) or 1/4" (for thicker, softer cookies).  Continue to add flour as needed both on top of and beneath the dough so that it doesn't stick.

Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and use a spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheet.

I had leftover dough so I marbled it together to make these

Squirrel Friend

I really love these cut outs

Bake on 350F (175C) for 9-10 minutes, or until edges just begin to turn lightly golden brown.

Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet before moving and frosting.

Now Decorate

cute squirrel with a scarf

moose with a scarf

snowy trees

close up of the sprinkles

snow moose cookies

I love these sugar crystals

Pretty Sugar Cookies

Raspberry Linzer Cookies

Now enjoy some yummy christmas cookies, next cookie will be Thin Mints.