Day 4 of my twelve days of cookies: I know, I know.. this is so similar to my last post! Well, after despising the last cookie so much with the peppermint extract, I had to redeem myself with a better tasting mint cookie. Finally… a cookie that I’m a fan of so far on this list.

As you may or may not know, I love mint chocolate (not PEPPERMINT chocolate). I saw these lovely cookies on the back of an Andes mint baking chips bag, but I substituted the Andes mints for Nestle’s dark chocolate and mint chips that I found while wandering around Target. Dark chocolate and mint morsels? How perfect! You can even see the pretty mint chip sneaking out in the last photo. These must be limited edition because I’ve never seen them before. I snatched up two bags and used one on these cookies. As for the other bag, I’m still trying to decide what I want to bake with it. This makes just over 3 dozen cookies.

After baking all these cookies so far, I’ve learned that refrigerating the dough is a must in all situations. When dealing with refrigerated cookie dough, the cookies taste and look so much better! Trust me. Patience is a virtue, even in the baking world.

Day 3 of my twelve days of cookies: These may LOOK like your average chocolate chip cookie, but I assure you, it’s not! This recipe comes from Une Gamine Dans La Cuisine, and they are peppermint chocolate chip cookies. They are easy to make and come out looking as cute as a button. I made mine a little smaller– two bites and they’re gone!

I have a confession to make. I actually hated these cookies. Whoever invented peppermint extract must have been on drugs or something because that stuff does not belong ANYWHERE besides the trash can! I was so excited when making these too, thinking that they would come out all Christmas-like. But nooooo.. since I have never worked with peppermint extract before, I didn’t know what to expect. The texture, consistency, and taste of these cookies would have been pure bliss if it weren’t for the peppermint extract that ruined it. I would make these cookies again, but substitute MINT extract for peppermint extract next time. TRUST ME, there is a difference! I suppose you could also substitute the peppermint extract for vanilla as well, making a grand ol’ chocolate chip cookie.

• 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:

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

I almost forgot how hectic baking 12 days of cookies before Christmas is. Basically, I have to update about a cookie approximately every two days. That means I’m already off schedule! Oh, shoot. I’ve been busy catching good deals online and thinking about what gift I should get for the bf. Anyone have any good ideas of what to get a boy for Christmas? Help a girl out. 🙂

Day 2 of my twelve days of cookies: Oh, hey Martha Stewart. You have some great ideas for just about everything. I don’t know how you do it, but boy do I love it. This is only my fourth cookie that I’ve tried from the book by Martha Stewart, Cookies. They were everything that they were described to be.. chewy, chocolate-y, and gingerbread-y. They baked perfectly and held their shape. Personally, I’m not a fan of the taste of molasses so these cookies didn’t tickle my fancy. My boyfriend, on the other hand, rather enjoyed them and sneaked bites by every now and then. Molasses has a very distinct taste that is just too strong for me, so I’ll avoid it for now. Maybe it’s an acquired taste and I’ll eventually learn to love it….

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Roll dough into 2-inch balls; place 2 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll dough balls in granulated sugar and return to baking sheets. Transfer to oven and bake until surfaces crack slightly, about 18 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.