Chocolates Andes mint cookies

'Tis the season for chocolate and peppermint, and lots of it!  It is quite possibly my son's favorite holiday flavor combination so it's well represented at my house right now and I'm always on the lookout for more spins to try. 

One of my little one's favorite treats is this peppermint brownie concoction I cobbled together a few years ago.  He just loves it and I usually make a batch for him at Christmastime.  But this year, I swapped it for something different but still very familiar. 

We're having chocolate Andes mint cookies instead.  We are fans of those green foil-wrapped Andes mints, which also play a prominent role in those brownies that my son adores.  These cookies have largely the same flavor - moist chocolate with a big splash of mint.  

I spotted the recipe in the most recent Food Network magazine.  I think I've mentioned before that my son and I like to do the quizzes in the magazine together when there is one.  Well, there was no quiz in this issue but this recipe caught my eye.  As you can see, it's a chocolate base cookie and it's studded with an equal amount of dark chocolate chips as well chopped Andes mints.

These cookies were a big hit at my house and I'm already making a second batch to share with friends.  It's a moist cookie filled with chocolate flavor (from cocoa in the dough as well as the chocolate chips) and mint (from the Andes mints and peppermint extract) - an easy combination to love.  

Since it's Christmastime, I couldn't leave well enough alone so I melted some white chocolate and drizzled it over the top of some of the cookies.  For even more color, I sprinkled some candy cane bits on a few of the cookies using the white chocolate as "glue".  Taste-wise, the cookies don't need the embellishments but I love a little festive decoration on our treats at this time of year.  


The cookie dough is pretty classic, using an equal mix of granulated and brown sugars.  The deep chocolate flavor comes from a good helping of natural cocoa powder.

I used Ghirardelli's 60% dark chocolate chips and chopped up some Andes mints for the add-in's.  I've used the Andes mint chips before but I prefer to chop up the whole ones if possible so I can get bigger pieces.  Incidentally, a box of Andes Mint contains 28 and that will get you a scant cup.  If you don't want to skimp, be sure to get yourself an extra box.

When the cookies are done, you can certainly enjoy them as they are...

...or you could grab some white chocolate like I did and decorate them.  White chocolate burns easily and can turn into a thick mess so melt it carefully.  I chopped up a very small amount and used the microwave, on half-power, heating it just a handful of seconds at a time and stirring very often.  When it's just melted, place the white chocolate into a small sandwich bag, snip an opening at the end and drizzle it over the cookies.

The candy cane bits on top of some of the cookies were like a little bonus.  

I am much more behind the peppermint-chocolate craze at Christmastime than I am for pumpkin spice during the fall/Thanksgiving time.  It must be the chocolate component!

Recipe:

Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies
Adapted from Duff Goldman via Food Network

- Makes approximately 34 cookies -  

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (I used a scant teaspoon)
1 cup chocolate chips 
1 cup chopped Andes mints (or Andes mint baking chips)
For optional decoration: melted white chocolate, candy cane bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set baking racks in the upper and lower thirds.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium-size bowl.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars together until fluffy.  Add eggs, vanilla and peppermint extracts, and beat until incorporated.  Add the dry ingredients and beat until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips and Andes mints.  (I like to make the dough ahead and give it time to chill in the fridge; if baking immediately, expect the dough to be a bit soft to work with.)

Scoop cookies with a small ice cream scoop (I generously packed the dough into a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop; for more evenly round cookies, roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls using your hands) and place onto prepared baking sheets spaced about 2-inches apart.  Use your fingers and press the cookie mounds down to about a 1-inch thickness.

Bake until the cookies are set and no longer look glossy, about 15-18 minutes depending on size (keep an eye on them and avoid over baking), rotating the pans midway during baking.  Remove from the oven, let cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

To decorate, place a small amount of melted white chocolate into a plastic sandwich bag.  Snip a small opening at the tip and drizzle the white chocolate over the top of the cooled cookies.  Decorate with candy cane bits, if desired.