CHOCOLATE & MINT HOLIDAY COOKIE

I had some truly delightful melt in your mouth chocolate cookies at a church arts & craft holiday event.  It had a brownie type texture but still stood out as a cookie.  When I asked about the recipe, I was told it was a recipe from the back of a BAKER’S chocolate box.  So I went and bought a box just to get the recipe.  Then I brainstormed with my taste buds to figure out how I can add another level of flavor to intensify this already intense cookie.  Then it HIT me BAM POW KABOOM!   MINT!!   I immediately thought of my favorite mint and chocolate candy!  ANDES CANDIES!  So I threw them in the batter and added some colored sugar to package the cookie for the holidays!  I hope you enjoy, my family and I sure have!  Please do not forget to LIKE my FB FAN (click here) page on my HOME PAGE (click here) and SUBSCRIBE (click here) to my blog to receive these fantastic recipes via email.  AND let us not forget about TWITTER (click here).  AND while you are baking these cookies, try my Chocolate Peppermint Bark!

CHOCOLATE MINT HOLIDAY COOKIES

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:
1 pack of Andes Candies (crème de menthe 28 count)
4 squares of Baker’s unsweetened chocolate
¾ cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 beaten eggs
3 tsps. pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour

CHOCOLATE TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
1 8 oz tub of cool whip whipped topping (do not thaw)
6 squares of Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate
Red and green colored sugar sprinkles

READY, SET GO:
1.    Chop up all 28 pieces of Andes Candies and set aside
2.    Line baking dish with aluminum foil and set aside
3.    Microwave unsweetened chocolate and butter in microwaveable bowl for 2 minutes and stir until chocolate and butter is all melted
4.    Add granulated sugar and whisk together until incorporated
5.    Add beaten eggs and vanilla and whisk until incorporated
6.    Slowly add flour and whisk together until incorporated
7.    Add chopped pieces of Andes Candies and fold in GENTLY (do not whisk), now you have your cookie dough
8.    Cover bowl and put cookie dough in refrigerator to gel (minimum of 30 minutes)
9.    Pre-heat oven to 350 about 5 minutes before taking cookie dough from refrigerator
10. Roll cookies into 1 ½ inch balls and press thumb in middle of ball to flatten (I used an ice cream scooper and broke that scoop in half)
11. Add cookie dough balls to baking dish with aluminum foil (do not crowd the cookie balls)
12. Bake for 8 minutes – cookies will look at little soft at first but take them out of the oven (do not over bake)
13. Allow to sit on the baking dish for 2 minutes
14. Carefully move cookies to wire rack to cool (be gentle they are still a little soft but will have better form once it cools on the wire rack)
15. Allow cookie to completely cool before adding the chocolate topping with colored sugar sprinkles
16. LETS MAKE THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING
17. Microwave the “frozen” Cool Whip and semi-sweet chocolate in bowl for 1 minute.
18. Remove from microwave and whisk for 1 minute.
19. Add back to microwave for additional 1 minute.
20. Remove from microwave and whisk for 1 minute or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth (don’t give up continue to whisk eventually   chocolate will melt and mixture will have nice brown color and will look smooth.)
21.  Allow chocolate topping to stand for 5 – 8 minutes to thicken
22. Once cookies are completely cooled and chocolate topping is thickened spread topping on top (I used back of a small spoon to spread and went in a circular motion)
23. Sprinkle half of the top of the cookie with red sugar sprinkles and the other half with green sugar sprinkles
24. ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!!!

Double ingredients to make more

Utokia ~
Sizzle Sizzle Baby