Andes Mint Cookies

This is one of the recipes that I learned to cook with. I’ve made just about every baking mistake possible with these, from adding too much flour to forgetting to set the timer. I think this was the first recipe that I changed enough to be able to call it my own. For all of these reasons (and perhaps the minty goodness) these are my favorite cookies.

I almost always make these as a double batch but I’ll give you the ingredients for a single just in case your family doesn’t scarf them up like mine does.

1 ⅓ cups sugar

¾ cups butter

½ teaspoon mint extract

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

6oz of chocolate chips

1 box (28) chopped Andes Mints

First things first, find a helper (preferably one that doesn’t like Andes mints, my sister works quite well but I don’t lend her out all that often). Have them open all of the Andes Mints and break them into pieces. When I do it I break them into 8 pieces but if Liz is willing to break them up she can do it however she likes. Sometimes they start to melt so you may want to put them in the fridge before you break them apart if it’s hot in your kitchen. I know what you’re thinking, Loryn why not buy the bag of Andes Mints that are already broken up? I have tried this but they give the cookies a funny taste; I think the pieces are too small and they end up mixing into the batter a little too well so there isn’t a distinctive chip. Besides with this method you can’t make your sister unwrap 28 Andes Mints and break them all into pieces.

Now that you have someone working on the mints preheat the oven to 350º. The rest is done just like chocolate chip cookies. Mix the butter, sugar, mint extract and egg in a large bowl. In another bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Stir in the chocolate chips, and broken up Andes Mints. Chill the dough for at least one hour.

Drop the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for about 13min. Make sure to try the dough before you bake it all. The dough for these cookies rivals the cooked version.

All of that baking tired Artie and Olive out.

Here is the finished product, ready to go to the PVC party. In the end the cookies tasted the same no matter which mints were in them. The only difference is that with the green mints you can tell they are mint cookies and the other ones pretty much look like chocolate chip cookies.