
We are two weeks into 2018, and I'm already seeing some improvements in certain parts my life. First and most importantly, I've recently adopted two adorable kittens. They are Scottish Folds, both with straight ears, and they have the sweetest personalities. I'm a huge Outlander fan so I've named them after the Outlander characters - James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser (a.k.a. Fraser) and Fergus Fraser. Fraser is the very studious cameo and white one below and Fergus is the beautiful gray one.
As you can imagine, I'm in love with them already.
My diet and my addiction to sugar, on the other hand, is an area of my life where I just might need an intervention. I often try to start the new year off with the goal of either becoming a vegetarian or eliminating sugar out of my diet or doing both. This year, I didn't even bother to try. Despite all the cookies I made (and ate) over the holiday, here I am two weeks into the new year and I'm making more cookies. Today I was in the mood for something chocolate and something different; however, because it was frigid out - it was 12 degrees this morning when I woke up - there was no way I wanted to venture out to go to the grocery store to buy any baking ingredients. I needed to make do with what I had. All I had in my freezer was some Andes Creme de Menthe baking pieces, unsweetened chocolate, and chocolate chips so I made the first thing that came to mind - a melt in your mouth triple chocolate mint chip cookie. I have to say that I'm very pleased with the results. It's a delicious soft gooey brownie cookie, loaded with chocolate with a hint of mint flavor. Maybe it isn't good for my diet but it is certainly good for my mood.
Makes about 6 dozen small cookies or 4 dozen medium-sized cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
- 1/2 cup (1-1/2ounces) natural cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 16 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiardelli 100% cacao)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1-1/4 sticks)
- 1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (14 ounces)
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 5 ounces of Andes creme de menthe baking pieces
Instructions
Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
Step 3: Whisk brown sugar, eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla together in large bowl.
Step 4: Combine chocolate and butter in bowl and microwave at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 5: Whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture until combined.
Step 6: Add dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Use a hand mixer if necessary but do not over beat. Add the chocolate chips and Andes creme de menthe baking pieces. Mix well.
Step 7: Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until consistency is scoopable and fudge-like, about 30 minutes.
Step 8: Leaving about 1-1/4 inches between each ball, scoop dough (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Flatten cookies slightly with the palm of your hand.
Step 9: Bake, reversing position of the baking sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until edges of cookies have just begun to set but centers are still very soft, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Step 10: Cool cookies on sheets about 10 minutes, slide parchment with cookies onto wire racks, and cool to room temperature.
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