Thin Mints

The Girl Scouts have made these cookies a national favorite. These are perfect for December, with their peppermint flavor. Dress them up with crushed candy cane or colored sprinkles, or leave them plain like the classic. These cookies are a little more involved to make as they require two steps: making the chocolate wafer cookies, then coating each wafer in peppermint chocolate. But if you put in the effort, the results are totally worth it!

RECIPE: Thin Mints
makes 3-4 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:
Chocolate Cookies:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:
12-16 ounces chopped (or chips) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1-3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, if needed
1.5 teaspoons peppermint extract, to taste
crushed candy cane or sprinkles to decorate

DIRECTIONS:
Chocolate Cookies:
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder until no lumps remain. In a separate, larger bowl, beat the butter until light. Add the sugar and continue beating until it's well incorporated. Then add the egg, water, and vanilla and beat for at least 2 minutes, until the mixture has lightened in color and texture. Gently mix in the dry ingredients.

Shape the dough into a flattened disk about 3/4-inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight. This dough is very soft, so it's imperative that it's been chilled before you roll it out.

Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two or three baking sheets.

On a clean, heavily floured surface, roll the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness, and use a round cutter to cut it into approximately 2 1/4-inch circles. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets. They won't expand a great deal, so you don't need a lot of space between them.

Bake the cookies for 17-18 minute. Watch them carefully; it's difficult to tell when they're done, as they're so dark you can't see if they're brown, but when you start to smell them they're probably done. If you smell even a hint of burning, remove them from the oven immediately. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool them completely.  If you wait to coat them in the glaze, store the cookies in airtight containers at room temperature.

Chocolate Glaze:
In a small saucepan or microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate, stirring until it is completely melted, shiny, and thin. Add the peppermint extract to taste. The glaze will be quite thin.If you feel the glaze is too thick, add a tablespoon of vegetable shortening. Make sure to keep the chocolate very warm and thin throughout the dipping process.

Using a pair of tongs or your fingers, dip the cookies in the glaze. Grasp each cookie by an edge and dip it completely into the chocolate, shaking off any excess. Set the cookies on a cooling rack with parchment underneath, to catch any drips. Sprinkle crushed candy cane or sprinkles on the wet glaze if you wish. If you want to speed up the hardening of the chocolate, put the cookies in the fridge or freezer.

STORAGE:
Store cookies in an air-tight container at any room temperature or in the refrigerator, between layers of wax paper to keep chocolate glaze surfaces from sticking to each other.