If you love a thin mint . . .
Christmas cookies can take hours to decorate, so when I’m searching for something that’s as simple to make as it is gorgeously festive, I opt for these sparkling mint chocolate cookies. Rimmed with sparkling sugar and studded with mint and dark chocolate, these rich and fudgy cocoa cookies are as fabulous in flavor as they are in appearance.
Sparkling sugar is a decorative sugar made up of large irregular crystals that, unlike typical granulated sugar, will not melt away as the cookies bake. I typically buy it online, but you might be able to find it in specialty baking stores (it’s more likely to be near the sprinkles than with the standard sugars). If you can’t find it, you can always leave it out: the cookies won’t look as festive, but they will still be just as delicious.
Bake time and temperature is key to achieving the perfect bake on any cookie, but it’s especially important with these. While 325 is a lower temperature than typical for most cookies, it’s vital to achieve that fudgy center. Also, don’t be afraid to pull the cookies out when they’re still very soft in the center; they will firm up as they cool. Wait until the middles feel “set,” and they may be overbaked.
These cookies are inspired my childhood love of my grandmother’s mint-topped brownies and my (still very real) obsession with girl scout thin mints. Crunchy on the outside, rich and fudgy in the center, they somehow achieve the best of both worlds. I’d love to say I discovered that magical textural balance all on my own, but I owe a lot to both Dorie Greenspan’s world peace cookies and Edd Kimber’s chocolate sables: those two recipes were foundational to what these cookies became.
Enjoy!
Sparkling Mint Chocolate Cookies
(Makes 12)
½ cup (1 stick, 113 g.) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (66 g.) light brown sugar
1/3 cup (66 g.) granulated sugar
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. baking soda
1 cup (120 g). all-purpose flour
¼ cup (20 g.) cocoa powder
18 andes mint chocolate candies (3 oz), chopped
1 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp. sparkling sugar
Special equipment: electric hand mixer, large mixing bowl, two baking sheets, parchment paper.
Instructions
In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt until light and creamy. Beat in vanilla extract and baking soda until well combined, then add flour and cocoa powder and beat until dough darkens and hazelnut-sized clumps form. (This will take 3-4 minutes.) Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in chopped mint candies and chocolate until combined.
Lay out a large rectangle of plastic wrap, at least 12” long. Place dough in center of plastic and use wrap to form it into a smooth log about 1 ½” in diameter and about 8 inches long. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, rack in the middle position. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour sparkling sugar onto a large plate.
Remove dough log from refrigerator and roll briefly on counter to smooth any ridges that may have come from its resting position. Unwrap log and carefully roll in sugar, pressing gently to ensure it evenly to coats all sides.
On a cutting board, using a sharp knife, slice dough log into ½” thick rounds. Arrange on baking sheets, spacing two inches apart.
Bake one sheet at a time until slightly puffed in the center and the edges are just firm, 11-13 minutes. (Refrigerate second batch of cookies while first batch to prevent them softening too drastically.)
Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Originally posted December 8, 2024.
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