Mint Chocolate Cookies

This is the last recipe I want to blog about that we used for our Christmas plates this year.  I've made these twice before but never blogged about them.  They're a brownie-like chocolate cookie topped with an Andes mint right after coming out of the oven.  You can swirl it around as it melts for a pretty design.  Of course, I couldn't find Andes mints anywhere on the island this year, so I tried two different things.  Lindt Peppermint Truffles, cut in half (pictured above) and After Eight Mints.  They worked out well (the After Eights were easier to cut, but the Lindts looked better).  

Our Christmas plate assortment this year; from top to bottom: Mint Chocolate Cookies, Eggnog Cookies, Chocolate-Orange Fudge, Classic Caramels (I added 1/2 tsp. sea salt to these, and used salted butter as well), and pictured in the middle, White Peppermint Fudge.    

Mint Chocolate Cookies

adapted from Allrecipes

makes 3 to 4 dozen

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I use mini)
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 dozen Andes mints, or 2-3 dozen Lindt peppermint truffles or After Eight mints, cut in half

1.  In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

2.  Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.  (My regular cookie scoop is the perfect size for this.)

4.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, be careful not to overbake. When cookies come out of the oven, press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer (swirling After 8's looks weird). For smaller cookies, break mints in half.

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