Triple Chocolate-Mint Cookies

Before I get to the cookies, I have to share a hilarious "Aiden'ism" (he's our second, and is almost 3). His big brother, Asher, is in pre-school and is really into titles and authors. Some of his favorite books right now are Curious George, and we always go through the title and author before we start reading: Curious George's Dinosaur Discovery by Margaret and H.A. Rey. Well, Aiden, Mr. Mimic-er, always says: "Curious George's Dinosaur Discovery by Nugget and H.A. Rey." I find it so hilarious, and I'm not quite sure why! I laugh every single time he says it, and sometimes at random times during the day when it pops into my head. What a goober. On to the cookies . . .

This recipe came from my head - it's similar to a chocolate chocolate chip cookie, but with a number of mix-ins to make it extra special for the holidays. I love chocolate and mint together and could eat a whole plate of these. Something about the mint makes them almost refreshing so in my head I'm thinking "These aren't really cookies, right?" Ha - wrong. They're decadent and delicious and a fun change of pace from what I usually make.

These cookies have triple the chocolate and triple the mint! Yumm-o. The chocolate comes from chocolate chips, mint chocolate chips, and cocoa powder - and also Andes mints, so I guess it's quadruple the chocolate-i-ness! The mint comes from the mint chips, Andes, and peppermint extract. The Andes mints aren't absolutely necessary, but they add an extra layer of flavor, and look so pretty on top of the cookies. If you don't want to buy them especially, you can replace them with some extra holiday chocolate chips. These are a great addition to your cookie round-up this year.

Triple Chocolate-Mint Cookies

1 c. softened butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/2-1 tsp. peppermint extract (depending on how mint-y you like it; I used 3/4 tsp.)
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 c. holiday chocolate chips (the ones with chocolate chips combined with red and green ones; or just regular chocolate chips)
3/4 c. mint chocolate chips
1 c. chopped Andes mints

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream together butter and sugars on medium speed, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add eggs, peppermint extract, soda, and salt. Beat again, 2 minutes.
4. Add cocoa powder and mix slowly until combined.
5. Stir in flour until just combined.
6. Stir in holiday chips and mint chips. Have chopped Andes mints set aside.
7. Drop dough by Tbls. onto prepared baking sheets, and bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are set and the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny.
8. After they come out of the oven and are still hot, sprinkle tops with chopped Andes, and lightly press into the tops. Allow to cool completely before storing.

*With all the mint going on in these, you might be thinking it would be too overwhelming. Don't worry about that - the chocolate and mint complement each other and blend perfectly. It's not an overwhelming mint flavor. And you can certainly cut back on the mint extract if you're feeling leery of it.
Yield: Approx. 36 cookies

Hugs and cookies,

Amanda