Thin mints

We wish we could say that these are far and away better than the Keebler Grasshoppers you can buy at the grocery store. They're good...but they're a bit of effort. Not back-breaking effort, mind you. Just more work than we like to put into food.

Still, if you're up for a little mixing, chilling, baking and melting, you might skip the Grasshoppers and try these.

We went to the trouble (and are proud of what we got), so there was no way we weren't going to post our results.

The basic recipe came from Baking Bites, with a few modifications.

Rating: Full assed (Some serious effort and time required)

Here's what you need and how you do it

Cookie:

2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate coating:

10 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and extracts. 

Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated. (You may have to knead by hand as the dough turns out fairly crumbly).

Shape dough into two logs, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice dough into rounds about 1/8-inch thick and place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

In a sauce pan, mix chocolate, butter or margarine and peppermint extract until smooth. Dollop a spoonful of chocolate coating on top of each cookie and give them an hour (at least) to set up.

(Try them refrigerated too.)

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Comments

[Baking and Mistaking]

I've always wanted to recreate classic cookies like girl scouts, but the recipes I've seen look so complicated - I hope to try this one at some point though!

[kcinnova]

I think you are trying to undermine my diet! ;)
I might try these out at Christmas time, for a little something different.

[Hayley Lees]

they still look good even if they are a bit of an effort!

[john]

love it

[Stacy Kearney]

My mom and I used to make homemade Thin Mints using Ritz crackers dipped in the melted chocolate mixture. The Girl Scout cookies used to have a golden cookie instead of the chocolate cookie. The Ritz dipped in chocolate made the perfect sweet/salty combination.