This week clearly was a theme week for me (see three days worth of foreign film trailers), so let's revisit the gustatory theme of Peppermint. It may be one of my favorite flavors ever! I love Peppermint yogurt (thank you, Yogurtland!), Peppermint ice cream (more thanks to Coldstone!), Peppermint Mocha Lattes (Starbucks, or your very own kitchen), and now Mint Chocolate cookies.
What are the best parts of this recipe?
- Peppermint extract and chocolate make these cookies taste like thin mints.
- Piping on the white chocolate designs is the funnest thing ever. Doing it made me feel like I was a guest on Ace of Cakes (I'm so sad that it was cancelled!)
- These things are delicious and addictive because...they kind of taste like Thin Mints! (To make them really taste like thin mints, I'd probably add maybe 1/2 a tsp more of peppermint extract)
What are some things I wish I knew before I made these cookies:
- Once the dough has been refrigerated and it's time to roll it out, you best roll it out into a large rectangular shape that can fit onto the baking pan. Transfering cookie cut outs from one piece of parchment paper to another on the baking sheet is difficult and time-consuming. And the success rates are not that impressive. Rather, you should simply roll out the dough on parchment paper, transfer this to the baking sheet, cut out the cookie shapes from the dough, and then simply remove the dough sitting around the cookies.
- Cutting the tip off of your plastic bag filled with white chocolate frosting should be done with great care. A tinier cut is much better, and will allow you to make prettier more delicate designs on the cookies.
- Melt the white chocolate adequately otherwise clumps will plug the plastic bag white chocolate frosting decorator tool.
- Do not pipe the white chocolate designs until all the cookies have been made. White chocolate can only be melted once; re-melting the re-soldified mixture fails pretty badly. And no, adding milk to this white sugary goop will not help given the mixture a smoother consistency.
- Do not forget to set the timer after putting the cookies in the oven. Two minutes over the required 10 will give you burnt cookies.
- Even if you burn the cookies, nobody will be able to tell because of the adequate chocolate frosting you will provide them with.
- Being overenthusiastic with the frosting is not a good idea, because there will sad little cookies bereft of frosting.
- These cookies take a lot of time to make-- it's a tricky combination of cooling the dough for 45 minutes beforehand, and then cutting the cookies out, baking them, letting them cool, frosting them, letting them cool again, and then finally decorating them. More hands makes lighter work! It's best to have friends over helping you. :)
- Have people over so they can wash the dishes for you. :)
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| Here's the chocolate mixture that is later added into the batter. |
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| Here's the batter right before the flour is added. |
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| And here it is after the batter is added! |
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| The batter is then divided into three portions, wrapped in saran wrap and ready to go into the fridge for 45 minutes. |
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| Try to remember to roll out the dough into a shape that will fit on your baking sheet. This will make your life easier. |
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| Transferring cookies from one parchment paper to another? Very difficult. That's why it's best to roll it out and then plop it onto the baking sheet before cutting. |
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| Combining the butter and chocolate for the glaze. My Pyrex bowl conveniently fit over my pot perfectly! |
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| And here's the glaze all melted, with vanilla and corn syrup! |
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| Letting the glazed cookies dry... Pretty! (Did you know that it's the corn syrup that makes them shiny like that?) |
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| Now it's time to melt down the chocolate. I used the double boiling method, but microwaving is easier. |
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| Your plastic bag piping kit! |
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| You can get creative and pipe on some messages! (I got the idea from Alice in Wonderland) |
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| Or maybe you want to just say NOM. |
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| Or maybe just get all illustrate-y! (See what I mean about thinner piping is better? I wish I had cut my plastic bag smaller for these cookies) |
Glazed Chocolate Mint Cookies
Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated
Recipe makes approximately 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
For the chocolate paste to be later added to the batter
4 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1 tsp ground coffee beans or espresso powder
For the batter
16 tbsp butter, at room temperature (cut into 2 tbsp pieces)
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
2 tsp peppermint extract
2 + 1/4 cup flour
For the chocolate glaze
1/2 cup of dark chocolate (I used 60% Cacao Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
For the white piping
2 cups of white chocolate chips
Recipe:
For the cookies:
[0] Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
[1] In a glass bowl, melt 4 tbsp butter. Add cocoa powder and coffee/espresso powder. Mix until a uniform paste is formed. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
[2] In a separate large bowl, mix the butter on low with an electric mixer until it becomes slightly softer.
[3] Add in the salt, sugar to the butter mixture. Continue to mix on low until homogenous.
[4] Add in the cooled chocolate paste. Mix a little bit with spatula, and then proceed with electric mixer.
[5] Add the yolks and mint. Mix with electric mixer for approximately 30 seconds.
[6] Add the flour slowly in 3 separate additions, ensuring complete integration of flour into batter before each subsequent addition.
[7] Take dough out of bowl and separate into three portions. Wrap each portion in saran wrap, and place in refrigerator for 45-60 minutes until firm (like play dough).
[8] After 60 minutes, roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Try to roll it out into a shape that will fit on your baking sheet. The rolled-out dough should be about 3/16 inches thick. Transfer the parchment paper with flattened dough to a baking sheet.
[9] Cut cookies using cookie cutter (I liked mine to be around 2.5 inches in diameter. I used a drinking glass with a somewhat sharper edge because I didn't have a real cookie cutter). Cut cookies so they are about 1 inch apart.
[10] Remove the dough between the cookies and place aside. The baking sheet should now be covered with nice cookies.
[11] Take the 'scraps' of dough and combine into another ball. Wrap in saran wrap and return to refrigerator.
[12] Place cookies in oven for a total of 10 minutes. At the 5 minute point, rotate the pan. After baking, set cookies onto a cooling rack to cool.
[13] Repeat the process with another refrigerated ball of dough for a cool (temperature wise), different baking sheet.
[14] Continue doing this until all the dough has been used. You may combine the smaller balls of dough towards the end of the process to make things easier.
For the chocolate glaze:
[1] Set a pot with water on the stovetop. Set to medium heat.
[2] In a glass bowl that can fit nicely onto of this pot, whisk the glaze's chocolate and butter together. When completely melted, remove bowl from pot. Add in vanilla, corn syrup and mix until shiny. Set aside. (If this mixture does solidify, which it likely will not, you can easily reheat it over warm water).
[3] Use about 1 tsp of glaze (maybe 1.5), and spread atop cooled cookies (for at least 20 mins). You want the glaze to go from edge to edge.
[4] Set cookies aside to cool.
For the white chocolate piping
[0] Do not start this step until all the glazed cookies have cooled. Unlike the chocolate glaze, the white chocolate can only be melted once.
[1] In a microwavable bowl, melt the white chocolate. (You can use the stovetop method, but microwaving's easier).
[2] Let it cool slightly.
[3] Transfer white chocolate to a plastic bag (heavy dutier ones like Ziploc Freezer bags are a good choice, and make the process easier). Smoosh (yes, that's a real chef term) the white chocolate into one corner of the bag.
[4] Cut a tiny little corner off of the bag.
[5] Begin piping away!
[6] Let piping set for about 20 minutes.
[7] Serve cookies immediately or place in tupperware for 3 days maximum.
