Trouble With Toast

Any dessert that combines chocolate and mint is a winner in my book.  York patties, peppermint bark, Andes mints–I love ‘em all!  So, after eating some mint chocolate chip cookies at my office holiday party, I set out to find a version of my own. 

This recipe was also inspired by Slashfood, and I modified it to suit my tastes and my on-hand ingredients.  The flavor was great, but the cookies came out a little too cakey for my liking.  Perhaps I’ll fiddle with the proportions and try to fix the texture problem–or, I’ll just work mint flavoring (either with candy or peppermint extract) into the traditional Toll House recipe.  One thing about super-chocolatey cookies always rings true, though–they do not photograph well!

• 1 cup all purpose flour
  1/4 tsp baking powder
  1/4 tsp salt
  1/4 cup butter, melted
  1/2 cup cocoa powder
  1/2 cup white sugar
  1/2 cup brown sugar
  1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
  1 tsp vanilla extract
  1/2 cup crushed Andes mints (or any other peppermint candy you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave at a low heat. Stir in the cocoa powder and both sugars, then stir in yogurt and vanilla extract. Working in two or three additions, stir in the flour and mix until just combined. Add in the crushed peppermint.

Drop 1-inch balls of batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press down slightly to flatten. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until set and slightly firm at the edges. Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen.