It’s that time of year — Cookie Swap time! This year I’ve partnered with The Food Blogger Love Cookie Exchange #FBLCookieExchange to benefit No Kid Hungry, an organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger, a worthy endeavor and one I’m very happy to promote.
Here’s how it works: I bake 3 dozen cookies and send them out to three other participating food bloggers that I’ve been matched to from across the U.S. In return, I receive 3 dozen cookies from fellow cookie monsters/food bloggers. Fun, right?
For my cookies this year, I went ALL CHOCOLATE and ALL MINT!
I sent my Chocolate Chocolate Mint Mint cookies to:
Sue Lau of Palatable Pastime
Lora Wiley-Lennartz of Diary of a Mad Hausfrau
Kelly Mikolich of Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats
In return, I received these hefty Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye Cookies from Nicole Hood at 4 the Love of Food! Chocolatey nuggets filled with a yummy peanut butter center – like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup in cookie form, Wow!
Coming from the Central Coast of California, Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Cam sent these (Gluten-Free) Spiced Brown Butter – Boiled Cider Cookies! They were soft and chewy and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and her secret boiled cider recipe.
Unfortunately, that’s where the fun stopped for me… my other match didn’t come through with his/her cookies — which is probably for the best — given the snug fit of my jeans.
That said, I made a boatload of these Chocolate Chocolate Mint Mint cookies and since I already had the bubble wrap and shipping tape out, I thought my daughter, a hard-working college Junior and my retired mother-in-law, would enjoy these minty delights.
I actually made two versions of the same cookie. The first had chocolate chips and those addictive Andes Mints – plus a minty glaze. The second had white chocolate chunks and Andes Peppermint Crunch dipped in sparkling sugar. #doesn’tsuck! They are crispy, deeply chocolatey with a cool minty flavor that reminds me of those York peppermint patty commercials. What are you waiting for? Get your holiday baking on!
Intensely chocolatey. Intensely minty.
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 extra large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup Andes Mints regular, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch roughly chopped
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2-3 tablespoons half and half
- 1/3 cup sparkling sugar
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Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
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In a medium bowl combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt -- whisk together to combine.
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In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer - cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla and peppermint and mix to combine.
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Add the dry ingredients a little at a time to the butter mixture and mix on low speed (to avoid a giant cocoa/flour cloud).
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Transfer half of the batter to another bowl.
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Add the chocolate chips and Andes Mints to one bowl of the batter and mix to combine.
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roll into 1" balls and place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
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Mix together the powdered sugar, peppermint extract and cream until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled traditional Andes mint cookies and let the glaze set.
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Add the white chocolate chips and the Andes Peppermint Crunch. Mix to combine.
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Add the sparkling sugar to a shallow bowl. Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls and dip the top of the ball into the sparkling sugar. Place on the cookie sheet -- sugar side up and bake for 15-16 minutes.
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Cool cookies on a wire rack.
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Store in airtight containers.
More Holiday Cookie Favorites:
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- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
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- Cranberry Pistachio Tea Cookies
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- Sea Salt Bourbon Pecan Cookies
Chocolate Chocolate Mint Mint[/caption]
I need to add these to my holiday baking list! Pinning!
Glad you like them Kristina!
Love that you adding two different types of mints, these must be so refreshing!
I don’t know about refreshing, but they’re definitely minty!
I’ve never received or sent cookies through the mail.. How fun! (But yes, given the tight jeans, I might be better off just sending them and not getting any haha)
I have to admit, packaging the cookies is challenging — they have to be snug (so they don’t move) but not too snug, otherwise, they’ll break!
those are super flavorful cookies! I think my man will enjoy chocolate and mint. 🙂 It’s sure fun to swap cookies in the advent time!
It is fun! Hope your guy likes ’em!
Another over the top, good looking and sounding recipe from you. I love the idea of getting double chocolate and mint in one bite!
Yes, there are worse things in life than double chocolate and mint!
These cookies look perfect for a cookie swap…I love all of the different varieties.
Thanks, Sandie!
This is such a fun idea! I love cookie swaps!
Chocolate and mint is one of my favourite festive flavour combinations! These look so wonderful, what a great bake for exchanging!
My daughter is the mint fiend here — and she definitely approved of this! I may do this for a more local cookie swap in the next week or so.
I love cookie swaps this time of year! I just love holiday baking! Your chocolate mint cookies look delicious!
Thank you, Cindy!
I loved the recipe!! I love the combination of chocolate, mint and a black coffee in the morning!! I wish I could have these cookies right now!!
Ah – breakfast of champions!
My two favorite ingredients! These cookies look perfect for the holidays 🙂 I’ll have to try both versions!
I definitely think you should!
I love the idea of the Andes Mints – my favorite! I can’t wait to try these for myself. With just a change of the flour to make the gluten-free. Yum! #FBLCookieExchange
Let me know how they are GF!
Such gorgeous pics and those choco-mint cookies are to die for!
Thank you, Sia! They are a chocolatey minty blast!
I love edible gifts and for the past few years have been giving out cookie tins with 3 or 4 different cookies to all my kids teachers and staffs at school. It has become a family tradition for us. Cookie swap for a good cause sounds fun and I would love to take part next year. Between, I love Andes mint and I am in love with this recipe that uses them.
What a lovely idea to gift cookies to the kids’ teachers. I’m sure they appreciate all the effort!