sir thomas sharpe's dark chocolate + garden mint cookies

September 4, 2015

Sir Thomas Sharpe's dark chocolate mint cookies :: une gamine dans la cuisine  #CrimsonPeak

Rain

a symphony orchestra.
there is a thunderstorm
they are playing a Wagner overture
and the people leave their seats under the trees
and run inside the pavilion
the women giggling, the men pretending calm,
wet cigarettes being thrown away,
Wagner plays on, and then they are all under the
pavilion. the birds even come in from the trees
and enter the pavilion and then it is the Hungarian
Rhapsody #2 by Lizst, and it still rains, but look,
one man sits alone in the rain
listening, the audience notices him. they turn
and look. the orchestra goes about its
business. the man sits in the night in the rain,
listening. there is something wrong with him,
isn't there?
he came to hear the
music.

~ by Charles Bukowski, from Selected Poems
September feels both aloof and intimate this year. The days are hot, damp...marvelously slow & yet bittersweet in their attempt to casually hold onto mid-July's warm embrace. A small fistful of russet-tinted leaves have fallen onto the still verdant earth. They remind me of overexuberant guests who always arrive too early for the party; yet you can't help but get swept up in their contagious, breathless excitement. September is my birthday month, but I can always sense autumn's approaching grey skies & deceptively soft chill. I have no quarrel with autumn, don't get me wrong, I'm only all too aware of what follows, and I will never be ready for it.

Sir Thomas Sharpe's dark chocolate mint cookies :: une gamine dans la cuisine  #CrimsonPeak
Sir Thomas Sharpe's dark chocolate mint cookies :: une gamine dans la cuisine  #CrimsonPeak

The movie Crimson Peak will not be released until October, but the moody, baroque vibe of these cookies made me think of all things Gothic & seductive. Based on what I have seen so far, I could see the esoteric Sir Thomas Sharpe indulging on a few of these gems whilst sitting apart from everyone, listening to the rain. The cookies are also an excuse to bring up Tom Hiddleston (or one of his roles) in a recipe, again. Maybe one recipe will make its way onto his radar, oven & kitchen table, someday. 

Honestly though, the cookies are deliciously dark and brooding. I would love to sit inside a cosy window nook, beside an spacious fireplace (rumbling & crackling a little too much), in a drafty castle while listening to the blustery wind sing its way under thick, crooked wooden doors. I'd have several books within reach, whisky-spiked cocoa & a plateful of these rich cookies on hand. The cookies are deep, soft and welcoming with a whisper of refreshing mint. Dessert was a rare treat when I was growing up, but occasionally my sister and I were allowed to enjoy two After Eight chocolates. I'll always be drawn to the intoxicating combination of dark chocolate and mint.  

Note; if you don't have access to fresh mint, use a shy 1/4 teaspoonful of peppermint extract. Don't go overboard, a little bit of mint extract goes a long way.

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! xoxo

Sir Thomas Sharpe's dark chocolate mint cookies :: une gamine dans la cuisine  #CrimsonPeak

ingredients
loose 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves (don't worry about precision, just grab several sprigs)
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of baking Soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup of tightly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 oz dark chocolate, chopped

method
Place mint leaves and 1 Tablespoon of sugar into bowl of a small food processor. Pulse several times until mint is minced well into sugar. Set aside to marinate for a few minutes.

In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Place the butter, and both sugars and mint/sugar mixture into stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes.) Add egg beat on medium speed until well combined. Switch speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating only until the streaks of flour have disappeared. Stir in chopped chocolate.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least six hours (or overnight, preferably).

Preheat the oven to 375 F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. For each cookies, measure out a heaping tablespoonful of dough (mine weighed about 2oz each).

Place the cookies on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1-inch of space between each one (these don't spread very much.) Bake until light golden, about 9-13 minute. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them rest on the sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Makes 10-12 cookies

Sir Thomas Sharpe's dark chocolate mint cookies :: une gamine dans la cuisine  #CrimsonPeak

39 comments:

  1. Lovely cookies! I love the addition of fresh mint. Dark and divine.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. I adore dark chocolate and mint, what exquisitely rich cookies! Tempting as well…I have a feeling these could be devoured all too easily ;).

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  3. Oh boy. I have to make these. Maybe tomorrow!

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    1. Hi, Lisa! I'd love to hear how the cookies turn out, should you decide to make them. :)

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    2. Well, I wasn't able to do it till today, but the dough is mixed and chilling in the fridge! (I thought I'd read it thoroughly, and ended up using light brown sugar instead of dark, so they won't have that moody look that yours have.) I'll bake them tomorrow. :) The house smells like mint!

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    3. I know! My fingertip smelled like mint, too. It's a refreshing scent that makes me purr. :) Can't wait to hear how the cookies turn out!

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    4. Oh, my - they are out of the oven, and I just ate TWO! They are nice and big, so I shouldn't have. :D So delightful - when they're entirely cool, they'll go in the freezer for a special occasion. Aside from the obvious lighter color from using the wrong brown sugar, they are soft, even though there were in the oven 13 minutes. Next time (yes, I would want to make them again, they're so nice!) I think I'll keep them in longer - your photos look to be of crunchier cookies. I didn't have fresh or dried mint, so I used 1/4 tsp. extract, like you said. You are right - that small amount is plenty - they are perfectly minty! Thank you for working so hard on these mysterious and enticing recipes, and then sharing them. They were a little large for my (new) cookie sheet, and they spread a little bit into each other, but it's not a problem, really. I make twelve, and wanted to do them all at once, but their large size probably requires that less should go on a sheet.

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    5. I have made these cookies three times and each batch has its own unique appearance, they like to keep things interesting. :) Sorry to hear that they spread, usually refrigerating the dough prevents that from happening...at least they were tasty! Thank you for letting me know how the adventure played out. xoxo

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    6. I gave some to my co-workers who worked for me on my week off - they were all agog at the amount of chips and the size! They loved them. :)

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    7. Yeah, I did not shy away from the chocolate love in this recipe. ;) Thanks for letting me know how the cookies turned out, Lisa!! I'm happy to hear they were well received.

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  4. What gorgeously pensive cookies. And whisky-spiked cocoa? Autumnal perfection, even if summer is lingering.

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    1. Whisky-spiked cocoa sounds good no matter the season, yes? :D Thanks for visiting!

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  5. September's child, huh? WOnder if you're a Virgo or Libra... anyways, I could feel myself being transported into some sort of obscure english novel, set in a grand and dark manor, maybe a Brontë book, maybe Sir Walter Scott's works, I dunno. I so love your moodyness and your writing, the perfect way you can be so succint and yet convey a world of feelings, impressions, moods and dreaminess in so little phrasing. It's a rare treat to read one of your posts, indeed!!
    http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/

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    1. Miranda, I'm a Virgo...with all the hang ups that entails. ;) Thank you for the lovely comment! I feel as though we would have a lot to discuss over sips of cocoa. :-)

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  6. There's vanilla listed in the instructions, but none in the list of ingredients?

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    1. Sorry for the confusion, Dorothea. There is no vanilla in this recipe, I'm just used to writing it in. :D

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  7. Gorgeous photos as always - they look positively lush. Hope you have a wonderful birthday, my Virgo friend!

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  8. These cookies sound (and look) absolutely delicious, Valerie. And I am with you, I am never ready for winter either. Hope you have a wonderful birthday!

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    1. Thanks, Tessa. Given the long bout of humid weather, I'm hoping winter will be a late bloomer this year.

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  9. I have to say that chocolate and mint is one of my favourite combinations so these cookies are definitely on my baking list. They look stunning Valerie.

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    1. Thank you, Thalia. It's one of my favorite combinations, too!

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  10. Your ramblings? I love the way you write and I'm so happy you have another recent post! Totally going to make these!

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    1. Thank you, Erica! I tend to ramble & tangle my words at times; they don't always make sense. It's good to hear someone enjoys the ride. ;)

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  11. I adore the moodiness of your photographs! (The cookies sound delicious too)

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  12. What gorgeously moody photos! I just want to stare at them for ages to absorb them! :D

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  13. Such a FANTASTIC presentation and amazing photographs! I love the combination of mint and chocolate - it's my favorite. Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe! :)

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  14. Your photos and writing always inspire me! Just beautiful. And I need these cookies in my life, too :)

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  15. Hi Valerie. Lovely post + words on September. I see what you mean. I'll never be ready for winter either, but so it is. The cookies look scrumptious. I also love the combination of chocolate + mint. Using fresh leaves is such a delight. I remember buying mint chocolate from Ghirardelli once, when visiting California. We gave away one box to my parents in law. Boy I regretted that, they were the most amazing ever and since I live in The Netherlands there was no way I could buy more haha!
    Guess I have to make these cookies then. :)

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  16. What a stunning cookie and your photos are to die for! Nicely done. Hope you are doing well.

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  17. Dear Valerie - I'm so happy you touched base on Twitter today. I don't know how we lost touch, but I'm so happy to be on your blog again. :-) Your photos are stunning and evocative. :-) Hope you have a beautiful holiday. xo

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  18. The setting for the cookies in the photo is lovely.

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  19. Yum! A jaw-dropping dessert! Can I have them with a cup of tea?

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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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