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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Chocolate Mint Cookie Sandwiches

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 A few weekends ago, Ryan headed to our church’s men’s retreat. I took advantage of the husbandless night to invite my sisters and a few girlfriends over. While Ryan was away doing “guy stuff” (including winning a cornhole tournament—the first thing he told me upon his return!), we had our “retreat” of sorts.
What did our retreat consist of? PiƱa Coladas, BBQ beer chicken sandwiches, a viewing of the ever-popular Pitch Perfect, and these cookies! You can’t ever go wrong with Rebel Wilson, girl talk, or cookies!
Although Food & Wine dubbed these Christmas cookies, I wasn’t interested in waiting until next December to give them a try. These tasted like a thin mint cookie sandwich, and like all thin mints, they were best straight from the freezer! I’ve discovered the secret to dipping things in chocolate prettily: don’t dip the whole thing! These were even easier than the homemade thin mints because I only dipped half of each sandwich and then decorated them with sprinkles.
Sprinkles are a girl’s night requirement!
One Year Ago: Devil's Food Fudge Cookies
Two Years Ago: 3 Ingredient Fluffernutter Cookies 
Three Years Ago: Chipotle Stuffed Chicken

Chocolate Mint Cookie Sandwiches
from Food and Wine December 2012

Ingredients:
for the cookies-
-1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
-1 cup sugar
-2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
-1 large egg, lightly beaten
-1 tsp pure vanilla extract

for the filling and glaze-
-1 stick unsalted butter, softened
-1 cup marshmallow creme (fluff)
-2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
-1 tsp pure peppermint extract
-1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips)
-1/4 tsp canola oil

Directions:
1. To make the cookies, sift the cocoa with the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter with the sugar using an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the melted chocolate, egg, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat until incorporated.
2. Pat the dough into 4 disks. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 375F and line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to a quarter inch thick (leave the others in the fridge). With desired cookie cutter (2 1/2 to 3 inches), stamp out as many cookies as possible, gather scraps to re-roll and cut cookies. Chill cut cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining disks of dough.
4. Bake cookies in the middle and lower thirds of the oven for 9-11 minutes, just until puffed (shift pans halfway through baking). Transfer cookies to racks to cool.
5. To make the filling, beat the butter, marshmallow cream, and confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in peppermint extract. Spread the filling onto one side of a cooled cookie and top with a second cookie, pressing to spread the filling to the edges. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Refrigerate the cookies for 20 minutes or until filling is set.
6. Microwave the chopped chocolate in a glass bowl in 30 second bursts until melted. Stir in canola oil. Drizzle chocolate over cookies or dip cookies into chocolate. Place on wax or parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles as desired. Refrigerate until set.