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!
Are these really gluten-free??? I was just thinking I’d modify the recipe and see if could make them without gluten, but I don’t see any gluten in there. Is that right??? They look amazing!
eek! So sorry Heather. Somehow I deleted the line of the recipe that had the flour listed!! I’m glad you caught it or I might have had alot of unhappy cookie bakers!
Hopefully they’ll work with gluten-free flour too. Again, sorry for the mistake!
Andes mints also have a special place in my heart! I was thrilled to discover that Las Paletas on 12th Ave South uses crushed Andes mints to make the “mint chocolate chip paletas”. Sooo good! Their rice paletas is my other fav (big rice pudding fan).
If I had to pick a special holiday treat from growing up ti would be my Grandmother/Mother’s “butter nut horns”.
I love their mint chocolate chip paletas!! Yum!
Interesting on the butter nut horns….had to google it because I had no idea what it was! Love hearing of others holiday traditions :-)
I love mint and chocolate! I can’t wait to try these.
These were originally the cookies I was going to bring to the party last night, but my husband liked them so much I decided to be nice and let him keep them at home! Thus, you got Orange Pistachio Dark Chocolate Chip instead ;-)
I love mint anything so I’m sure these would be a huge hit at my house! Such lovely images too! Happy Christmas Beth….hope all is well in your neck of the woods! Any chance of staging a TN blogger meetup in 2011? xoxo
Thanks Kate~ Merry Christmas to you too! And to answer you, yes, I think it would be totally fun to plan a TN blogger meetup some time next year!
yum I absolutely love andes mints as well! :)
SO GLAD THAT YOU LIKED THEM! These little cookies are a favorite in my family too! Your pictures are filled with the holiday spirit – love it! Happy Holidays to you and your family!!!
Thanks Rebecca! I hope you have a wonderful holiday too!!
hubby loves chocolate mint anything, so these are definitely worth trying. another delicious (and easy) option – make brownies and about five minutes before they’re done, put some of those After Eight mints on top to melt. yum!
I just tried a mint chocolate brownie milk shake this weekend and it was awesome. These will have to be next on my list.
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I enjoy seeing websites that understand the value of providing a prime resource for free. I truly loved reading your post. Thanks!
Beth, I made these tonight and the outcome was just scrumptious! My poor very old mixer (hint hint Santa!) almost went ka-put trying to mix the dough, it’s thick! But OMG these are incredible cookies! Do you ever use a baking stone instead of metal pans? I had to cook them for about 23 minutes on the stone and they’re still gooey and soft. Thanks for this recipe!!!
Hi Valerie~
No, I never use a baking stone- maybe that’s something I need on my wish list ;-)
The original recipe actually said to cook them for only 8 minutes, but when I broke one open after letting it cool for a while and saw that it was still REALLY gooey, I put them back in for 4 more. Then the consistency seemed perfect.
So glad you enjoyed! Merry Christmas!!
OMGoodness! My daughter and I are adding these to our Christmas baking list immediately! I cannot wait to eat one hot out of the oven!
hi Beth! I just stumbled upon your blog. it is adorable!! these cookies look TO DIE FOR. I am making these this weekend. I have andes mint chocolate chips, not the bars, so mine won’t have the pretty chunks like yours! i’ll let you know how they turn out. :)
Hi Sally! Hope you love them as much as I do!
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