Almost Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

Seeing as how it is not GS cookie season, I think it's okay to put a recipe out there for making a similar cookie without the high cost, while not highjacking any Girl Scout earnings. This cookie is very much like the GS version in flavor and texture, even though the cookie part is not a chocolate wafer but, instead, a lowly ritz-style cracker. 

Only 4 ingredients and no baking, making this a perfect cookie to whip up for a last-minute neighbor gift, potluck offering, or just a nice, sweet treat for your family. 

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
2 dozen ritz-style crackers
2 to 4 drops of peppermint oil (oil and not extract)
table knife
sheet of waxed paper

In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate chips with the shortening in short bursts of about 10 to 20 seconds, stirring with a table knife in between the bursts. 

When melted and smooth, stir in about 2-4 drops of the peppermint oil. (I poured a small amount of oil into the cap for the bottle, then dripped it into the chocolate, stirred and tasted until it was as minty as I liked.)

Working quickly, use the table knife to spread melted mint chocolate onto both sides of each cracker, then allow to firm up on a sheet of waxed paper. This is a bit messy, but I found that spreading the crackers with the chocolate resulted in smoother cookies with a more modest coat of chocolate than dipping (meaning the chocolate went further). 

Place in the fridge for an hour to quickly firm up or allow to sit for several hours at room temperature.

These mock GS mint cookies were fairly inexpensive to make. I used crackers from Dollar Tree, chocolate chips bought on the fall and holiday baking sale (WinCo store brand), Walmart shortening and just a couple of drops of peppermint oil. I bought my little vial of peppermint oil at Michael's, using a high-value coupon (I think it was 50% off), spending under $3 for 2 drams (vials) about two years ago. I originally bought the oil for making peppermint-flavored fondant for chocolate mint patties and now have most of the 2 vials leftover. In addition to the mint patties and thin mint cookies, I've also used the peppermint oil for making chocolate mint truffles. 

Double Chocolate Candy Cane Crackles -- One of My Family's Favorite Christmas Cookies

Our church held its annual cookie walk this weekend and I volunteered to bring a batch of a family favorite holiday cookie -- Double Chocolate Candy Cane Crackles. This cookie is a wonderful use for broken candy canes, or as in my case, for one of the many boxes of candy canes that I buy for pennies on clearance each year in early January. The recipe is a drop cookie one, so for the most part, very easy.

1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, softened
1/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1  1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 - 5 ounces of candy canes or peppermint hard candies, crushed (about 2/3 to 3/4 cup crushed), divided 3/4 for cookie dough, 1/4 to top dough
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided 2/3 cup, 1/3 cup
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening

Butter a large baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream the butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder until no lumps of cocoa powder remain.

Stir in flour, 2/3 cup of chocolate chips, and 3/4 cup of crushed candy canes.

Form dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Sprinkle each flattened dough with a small amount of remaining crushed candy canes.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Remove from baking sheet immediately and cool on racks. After cooled, trim or break off any cooked candy cane pieces to neaten up the edges of the cookies. 

In a microwaveable dish or cup, melt the remaining 1/3 cups of chocolate chips with the vegetable shortening in 10 to 15 second bursts, stirring in between. When chocolate is thoroughly melted, scoop into a snack-size baggie. Snip a tiny bit off of a corner of the baggie and drizzle melted chocolate onto the cooled cookies. (I place all of the cookies closely together on the wire rack over a clean baking sheet, tessellating the cookies as much as possible. When I drizzle the melted chocolate, I can do so over the entire match of cookies at once. Any chocolate drizzle that pools beneath the rack can be scraped up and remelted, adding to the baggie for continued piping.)

These cookies were a hit, I was told. I think anything that looks very chocolatey often is. There are definitely "prettier" holiday cookies. However, when it comes to taste, if you love mint and chocolate together, this is a winner.

Note: I bake on insulated baking sheets. If your oven runs hot, or you bake on darkened single sheets, make a test cookie for doneness on the cookie's bottom. Chocolate has a tendency to scorch, so your baking time should be set based on the doneness of the test cookie's underside.