Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

November 5, 2009


Did anyone know that the smaller you are the faster you gain weight? I am learning this the hard way. It has been so busy lately that I have cut back drastically on my workout routine and I have not been eating very well either. Usually I am a stickler for balancing portion control with time spent running/cardio. The scale ( including the one in the bathroom ) has placed far too much weight on the larger portions and little exercise side. For a while everyone was happy for me (my mother is always on my case about being too much on the thin side, I think all moms must think that way about their children). But I am no longer amused with this situation. Case and point, my favourite jeans are looking at me with eye rolling disgust.
I am so frustrated with myself that I baked a batch of these cookies. :)


Thankfully they were so good that they were devoured by everyone before I had a chance to eat enough to make me want to go and sulk in the corner. The original recipe called for using fresh mint but since all the mint in the garden is covered by crispy leaves, I had to use real peppermint extract. And even though I am sure these are spectacular with the real stuff, I think the extract was a fabulous touch! Even the cookies themselves were perfect as far as texture and appearance are concerned. They have a soft, chewy-gooey center with a light thin crisp around the edges. Plus they plump to a perfect thickness and density while they are sunning in the oven.
And isn't peppermint good for metablolism? Or is it digestion? Who cares. These cookies were a wonderful twist on the usual chocolate chip cookie. I think you should all bake a batch. Right now. Seriously go. You know you have all the ingredients, if not then improvise.


Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
(recipe adapted slightly from Montecarte) Print

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of baking Soda
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract
1 cup of chopped dark chocolate

Method:
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and peppermint extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour mixture and beat just until there are no more streaks of flour. Stir in the chopped dark chocolate by hand. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. *You don't have to chill the dough if you are in a hurry.*
Preheat the oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and roll them into balls. Leave about 2 inches between each ball. Bake for 8-9 minutes. If you prefer crispier cookies increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing.
This is a small recipe, It only made about 18 cookies. Feel free to double it or to eat them all by yourself.

25 comments:

  1. Oh they look awesome! I bet they are so good with peppermint. Anyway, I know that weight gain issue is true. I keep having to cut back, I need to be taller in my next life lol.

    Laura

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  2. As someone who is 5'2" I can definitely attest to your statement!

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  3. The gooey center is just irresistible! And I'm totally fine with making just the 18 cookies - at 5' 1" I completely understand the weight management quandary :-)

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  4. Oh gosh you had me hooked at "Mint Chocolate Chip" :O) Thats one of my all time favorite combos..bookmarking and making this weekend!

    Well I wish I could say that I was shorter and thinner but Im neither..I'm 5'6" and pleasantly plump..lol

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  5. I think you made a great call on using the extract. These are beautiful.

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  6. That's the trick : keep baking but to share with others. I love that they are plump and with oozing chocolate bits inside!

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  7. Love mint and chocolate! The cookies look de-lish.

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  8. Valerina, chocolate and mint, a match made in heaven, and these cookies sound celestial!

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  9. Ok I made these and cannot begin to tell you how amazing these are. They are the BEST mint chocolate cookie I have ever eaten...ever. Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for the worlds greatest cookie! My husband and two sons also loved these and well..we all really love you..lol THANK YOU!!!

    For anyone wanting to make this recipe: Double it, triple it if you want..you will thank me for that..lol

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  10. Laura,Etsy,and Kathy. Isn't it terrible that short people have to work twice as hard? I'm a statuesque 5'3". It can be difficult using a rolling pin on a high counter top so I sometimes wear heels. :>

    Sonya, I'm so happy to hear that you loved these as much as I did. Thanks for the review! :)

    Katy, Celestial is a brilliant term for these.

    Dolce, That is indeed the trick. I'm sometimes tempted to leave my baked goods on random doorsteps. :)

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  11. i tried this recipe last night! a few comments:

    the peppermint extract is a great, subtle touch, and using dark chocolate instead of chocolate chips makes the choc' more melty, which is awesome.

    however.... my cookies didn't rise! they stayed completely flat. i followed the recipe perfectly, so i'm not too sure what happened there, used baking soda, not powder... next time i will probably just use a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe, and add some peppermint extract.

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  12. Hi rolaroid. I'm sorry the cookies didn't turn out well for you. Have you checked the expiration date on the baking soda? I used to always forget to check mine and it really does make a difference in how much your cookies will rise. And even though it isn't nessary, I always refrigerate my cookie dough for at least an hour. This will prevent the cookies from spreading too much. Letting the dough chill also allows the flour to absorb the liquid, allowing it to become firmer and produce a better consistency.
    I hope you will give this another chance. Please let me know if you have any questions.

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  13. I love chocolate and mint together. Love your new heading, but I miss the beautiful kitchen photo. If you think the weight problem is bad now, just wait. Until I was 50, I had no problem managing my weight. Now all I have to do is look at food to gain.

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  14. just made a batch.
    they're wonderful.
    delectably crispy on the outside, soft and buttery in the inside.
    thank you for sharing :]

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  15. Wow! These are absolutely delicious! So glad I stumbled upon your blog. I will definitely be trying some of your other recipes. Thank you again!

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  16. I wanted to love these but didn't. We followed the recipe exactly - they were hard as rocks when they came out of the oven, unfortunately. Nothing a little milk dipping couldn't cure, but rather disappointed with the results.

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  17. Hi Elizabeth, I'm sorry that the cookies did not turn out well for you. Sometimes hard cookies can be caused by working the dough too much or adding too much flour. I run a whisk through my flour before measuring it so all the air pockets are gone. When you measure out the flour, make sure not to pack it down. Just scoop and sweep the excess off the top. Another problem might be your oven temperature, Maybe it is off by a few degrees?

    Please let me know if you do decide to try these again, I will try and help figure out what went wrong. :)

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  18. Mmmm, I made these and they were so yummy! Me and gf ate them all very quickly.
    I just made some plain ones, too, without the peppermint and chocolate and it a very good plain dough, also.

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  19. I'm saving this recipe because it looks like you hit exactly the texture I like in a cookie - can't wait to try it!

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  20. I just found your blog and I love it already :) I also cannot wait to make these mint chocolate chip cookies!

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  21. Hi, Neniell. Thanks for dropping by! I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I did. Just forget that it's bathing suit season. :D

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  22. I am drooling over those cookies! They look so good! Great blog you've:D

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  23. I am 5'0" and I know what it's like :) btw, i don't really have an electric mixer, is it okay to mix this by hand? thanks for sharing this recipe.. I will try it out later on my oven toaster :) (i dont have an oven but this is worth the try :)

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  24. Well that makes sense because people who have more body mass (ie taller people) need to eat more to maintain their weight. These look delish, by the way:)

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Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

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