Thin Mints

Don't you hate it when you go to the store to get one or two ingredients that you need for a recipe (but you didn't write it down because you SWORE you knew exactly what you needed)…and then come home to realize that you are missing something?  Cut to yesterday evening.  I was all ready to try making 101 Cookbook's All Natural Dark Chocolate Thin Mints.  I had wanted to try making these forever.  Then after I already softened two sticks of butter, I realized that (uh oh!) I didn't have any powdered sugar!  Alas, my creative culinary skills to the rescue!  I have made chocolate cookies before and didn't use powdered sugar.  And by knowing the basics of recipe ratios, I had to make due with the ingredients I had… and I must say, my results weren't too shabby (I think delicious is the right word).  The wafers weren't as thin as I would have liked because I left the dough in the freezer for a half an hour too long, but as a result the "inside" of the thin mint was so soft and fluffy.  And as I always do with my regular Girl Scout Thin Mints, I might stick a few in the freezer to see how they taste too!

I would also like to note that I successfully tempered chocolate for the first time… AND it was even on accident!  WOW, I never knew tempered chocolate could be so much better; everything dipped smoothly, it dried so much faster and the chocolate was SO shiny!

And in the spirit of Single's Awareness Day, I made the thin mints heart shaped and topped some off with a little bit of red decorating sugar.  Now, to all the hungry boys out there… While I have only once had a true Valentine (not counting all my guy friends that will be my 'valentine' for a day and eat chocolate and watch TV with me), if I DID have a Valentine, he would be on such a sugar high of homemade treats and love… it would be the best Valentine's Day ever.  Just a hint for next year.

Heart Shaped Thin Mints

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cup white sugar
• 2 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
• 1 pound of dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tsp (or more) peppermint extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add the sugar, and beat until mixed well. Beat in eggs one at a time, then the mint extract.
2. Sift flour, cocoa, and salt together into a small bowl. Add flour mixture by halves into creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
3. Divide dough in half. Place into ziplock bags, flatten out, and freeze for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
5. Allow to thaw for a few minutes and roll out dough.  Cut into desired shapes and place on cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Melt ¾ of the chocolate in a double boiler (aka a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water).  When melted, remove from heat, add peppermint extract and stir some.  Then stir in remaining chocolate until melted.  Dip in cookies, making sure to evenly coat both sides, and tap off excess.  Allow to dry on a silpat, parchment paper, or any other non-stick surface.
7. Share with friends and Enjoy!