My 3-year-old daughter has been on a mint kick since tasting her very first chocolate mint Drumstick in August. So when it came time to pick out the cookies she wanted to take home from our friend’s holiday party last Saturday she made a beeline for the chocolate mint cookies.
The bite sized morsels are not overwhelmingly minty. Rather, the chocolate presence gives it a familiar taste similar to those popular Girl Scout Thin Mints cookies, only the texture is different and these cookies are topped with “snow” (powdered sugar).
Another of my daughter’s favorites was a hit with all the kids. Candy cane cookies that not only resemble the peppermint treats, but they’re also sprinkled with bits of the crushed red and white candy as well.
Both are festive treats that likely won’t last long on your holiday dessert table.
CHOCOLATE MINT SNOW-TOP COOKIES
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups chocolate chips
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon mint extract
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 eggs
Powdered sugar
Directions:
Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Melt 2 cups of the chocolate chips over a double boiler, stirring until smooth. (You could melt them in the microwave on low, but remember to stir the chocolate occasionally.)
Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add melted chocolate and mint extract. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Gradually add dry ingredients, and then stir in remaining chocolate chips.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and then roll in powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
Let stand 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove and cool completely.
Makes about 72 cookies.
CANDY CANE COOKIES
Ingredients for Cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 cup chopped almonds
2 cups all-purpose flour
Ingredients for Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
6 medium-sized crushed candy canes
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine butter, sugar, salt and almond flavoring into bowl and beat until fluffy. (It’s best to use an electric mixer for this.) Stir in almonds and flour until well blended.
Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough onto counter and form into a candy cane shape. Place on well-buttered or parchment-lined baking sheets and repeat using all of the dough to make 20 to 24 cookies.
Bake until slightly browned, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool on pan until slightly firm, then carefully remove and cool completely.
For icing, stir powdered sugar and milk together. You could add food coloring for a more festive look.
Drizzle on cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
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