Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I was a little girl, Santa left my sister and I both a box of Andes Creme De Menthe Thins wrapped up under the tree every year. Even now that we’ve gotten older and Santa no longer drops by our house, my mom still makes sure we each have a box in our stack of gifts. Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without them!

So when I saw this recipe on another blogger’s site last January, I bookmarked it, knowing that when this holiday season rolled around, it would be one of the first goodies I’d make. It’s not like I can’t go out and buy Andes Mints on any given day throughout the year, I just don’t. They’re my special once-a-year treat.

Oh, how happy these cookies make me!! But did I love them just because I’m being nostalgic? Not completely trusting my own judgement, I put them to the ultimate test, my live-in taste tester. When he used the words “incredible” and “perfect” to describe the texture, and also gave the flavor an enthusiastic thumbs up, my feelings were confirmed. This is one good cookie!

So what about you? Is there a special holiday treat you had growing up that brings back happy memories like my Andes Mints do?

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 40 cookies; From Thyme for Wine.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 (10 oz) bag Andes mint baking chips or 10 oz Andes mints, chopped*


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.


Cream butter in a bowl with an electric mixer. Add both sugars and beat until light and airy. Add the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, making sure the first is fully mixed in before adding the other. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (excluding the mint chips) and add to the butter mixture until fully combined. Mix in the Andes chips last. Chill the dough for at least one hour before portioning into 40 evenly sized balls.


Line baking sheet with silicone pan liners or parchment paper. Place dough balls on baking sheet and press with the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.


Note: You will probably only be able to fit 20 cookies at a time on your baking sheet, so it will require taking the first batch off to cool on the rack, and then adding the second batch.


*I used the chopped, regular Andes mint thins to make my cookies because I wanted big chunks!