Mocha Mint Cookies

I’ve only recently learned to appreciate mint chocolate desserts. I have feared them most of my life, especially when it comes to mint chip ice cream. It tastes like frozen toothpaste to me. Even the fancy gelato versions are a no-go. Luckily, these cookies made the cut and I ended up eating way too many of them. They are best warm, right off the cookie sheet. There’s not much more satisfying than a warm, chewy, gooey cookie. Except when you’re supposed to be on a diet so you can fit into your Grammy dress. Ahh, it’s okay. I still have a week and a half left!

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cup Andes Mint Baking Chips

Directions:

Sift the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, cocoa powder, and instant coffee in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft. Fold in 1 and 1/4 cup Andes Mint pieces. Cover the dough and chill for 1 hour, or up to 3 days.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325° degrees.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Roll the dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons of dough each. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will allow the balls to stay intact. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked. For a crispier-edged cookie, bake for 13 minutes. The cookies will continue to bake on the cookie sheet when you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

All the pictures for this post were taken with my 105mm macro. Only because I was too lazy to switch lenses on my camera. I rather enjoyed the experience.

I love eggs. They are my favorite food.

I like using vanilla bean paste because I love the specks of vanilla. Even though I can’t see them in the finished cookie, I feel better knowing they are there. 😉

Abstract food art. Just for fun.

This cookie is loaded with Andes Mint chips!

Cookie eating time.

The leaning tower of cookie.

Plus my very own little cookie monster! But no cookies for Bailey. Poor Bailey. Such a hard life.