Chocolate Mint Sandwich cookies

A few weeks ago, one of my dear friends was having a hard time, so...we set up a time for lunch the next day. I asked if she wanted anything and she replied, "something chocolate!" hmmm chocolate...that should be easy! :) I wanted to make something new, so I consulted my trusty Martha Stewart cookie book to see if there was something in there I could make and I came upon a recipe for Chocolate Mint Sandwich cookies. There was a few steps, but it looked yummy..and very chocolaty...sure to satisfy the chocolate requirement and hopefully would bring a smile to her face! :D The cookie itself was kind of dense and bitter, so I was a bit worried about the rest of it. But after I put all the components together..wow!! They were delicious!! They totally reminded me of the Girl Scouts Thin Mint cookies. MMMMMM, one of my favorites!!! Very rich and chocolaty..so be sure to have a glass of milk nearby!! A definite treat to cheer someone up!!!

Makes 3 dozen cookies

For the Cookies
-1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
-1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1 large egg, room temperature
-Confectioners' sugar, for work surface

For the Ganache
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-6 ounces semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped
-3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

For the Glaze
-6 ounces semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped

Directions

Make cookies: Whisk together cocoa powder and flour in a bowl. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Mix in egg until well blended. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.

Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer dough to a work surface lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick.

Cut out cookies using a 2-inch round cookie cutter; space 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper

Repeat with remaining scraps of dough. Bake cookies until firm, rotating sheets halfway through, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. *these cookies kind of made a small dome after baking. I'm not sure why. But it didn't really matter once you dunk them in the chocolate glaze. It just bothered me when it came out. Because I'm a perfectionist. HAHA. they're a bit crunchy, and a bit bitter when eaten by themselves, but don't doubt the cookie just yet, which I did...wait, until the whole thing is complete.

Meanwhile, make ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chocolate. Cook, stirring constantly until chocolate is smooth. Stir in peppermint extract.

(I didn't have any peppermint extract, but had some peppermint oil. I used that but makes the consistency of the ganache a bit oily..so stick with the extract!!) Let cool slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.

Spoon 1 teaspoon ganache onto the bottom of 1 cookie; sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and ganache.

Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. *Due to time constraints, I didn't stick them back in the fridge, I immediately dunked them in the glaze, which turned out great still!

Make glaze: Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly (or melt in microwave in small increments like I did..much easier! :D). Let cool slightly. Dip one flat side of each sandwich into melted chocolate to coat; gently shake off excess. Place sandwiches, chocolate sides up, on wire racks set over baking sheets. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. *I wanted the whole cookie covered in chocolate so I dunked them one side first, put them in the fridge, then dunked the other side. It wasn't the prettiest since the chocolate is uneven, but it coated the whole cookie. I might just try this technique next time, since the whole thing is very rich anyways, the bottom of the cookies don't REALLY need the chocolate..

These might have a few steps, but it's not too hard, and the end product is well worth it. I shoved a few in my face before remembering that I had baked them for my friend.. Hope these did it for you K!!! :) enjoy!