Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

I had this bag of Nestle half Mint half Semisweet Chocolate Chips, so for the past month I had been wanting to come up with a recipe for perfect soft center with crispy edge chocolate cookies to put these in. I found a recipe for inspiration and the outcome was exactly what I wanted. Not as dense or as extremely rich as the Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies or the Andes Fudge or Peppermint Bark Cookies, but still nice soft, centers with crisp edges. Not too intensely rich but still having a strong chocolate flavor to pair with the mint while not overpowering it. The mint chips are perfect little bites of freshness and lightness to the cookie. These cookies are the perfect after dinner treat...chocolate and sweet with a nice bit of refreshing mint!

Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

Recipe adapted from Ginger and Berries
Makes 2 1/2-3 dozen cookies
Print Recipe

Ingredients

- 1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3 oz 60% chocolate
- 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Hershey's, use any non-Dutch processed)
- 1/4 + 1/8 cup brown rice flour
- 1/4 + 1/8 cup sorghum flour
- 1/8 cup tapioca flour
- 1/8 cup white rice flour
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups of mixed Nestle mint chocolate chips and chocolate chips

Peppermint Bark Brownies

For the holidays this year I wanted to do brownies for my family and friends, with a wintery twist.  One of my favourite winter treats is peppermint bark.  I worked at a chocolate shop in college and come December I'd be anxiously (and impatiently) waiting for the first bath of peppermint bark.  Personally, I think peppermint bark should be a layer of dark chocolate, then white chocolate, and topped with the peppermint.  So this year I made my own peppermint bark and created my own perfect seasonal brownie.  Chunks of peppermint bark spread throughout the brownie, then topped with white chocolate drizzle and crushed peppermint candies...these brownies were irresistible!  I was really glad I had to bag them up as gifts otherwise I would have eaten way too many!  For this recipe you need my Brownie Bliss Recipe, plus this recipe for Peppermint Bark below.

Peppermint Bark Brownies

Brownie Bliss Recipe

Peppermint Bark Ingredients*

- 16 oz 60% cocoa Ghiradeli bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped bars)

- 11 oz white chocolate (I mixed Ghiradeli and Nestle) plus extra for the drizzling

- 1-2 standard bag Starlight Peppermint Candies (typically around 3 or 4 ounces) OR you can also use Candy Canes

*This recipe is for a full 9''X13'' pan.  I made a 9'"X13'' pan AND a 9''X9'' pan and I still had some extra peppermint bark.  Which I was totally fine with!  And actually gave two little bags as gifts too.  So if you're making less brownies, just but this recipe in half...or make it all and have a lot of extra delicious peppermint bark!

Peppermint Vs. Andes - Andes Fudge Cookies

For a while now I've been wanting to make super rich, chocolatey, brownie-like cookies.  And come winter my cravings for mint chocolate cookies start to grow.  But then the question became do I go the route of Peppermint or Andes mints?  So I decided to do a mint cookie bake off...one recipe, two refreshing, cool, minty variations.  In both cookies, the chocolate mixture I use is rich and deep but not too dark.  They have a slight crisp to the outside but a soft, gooey brownie like texture on the inside.  Theses cookies are intense, guaranteed to please any chocolate lover!  I built this recipe after studying about ten or so variations, putting together what I thought would make the perfect cookie and if I haven't made I'm pretty darn close!  You can try both and decide for yourself which on is superior!

This is the Andes Fudge Cookie post.  I added chopped Andes mints to the mix for a cool, refreshing minty taste that hits you right away.  They have that cooling effect of the Andes, with little bits of sweetness from white chocolate chips that add a nice textural difference to the smoothness of the chocolate cookie itself. 

The process to this is pretty much identical to the Peppermint Bark Cookies, but I figured it'd be easier to follow as two separate posts.

Andes Fudge Cookies

Recipe a Jesicakes original
Makes 18-20 cookies

Ingredients

- 1/3 cup split between brown rice and white rice flour*
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 4 oz 60% cocoa chocolate, chopped (I use Ghiradelli, 4oz is one baking bar)
- 2 oz semi sweet chocolate chips (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 oz white chocolate chips (about 1/3 cup)

- 4 oz chopped Andes mints (about 18 mints)**

*I used both because I feel like brown rice flour is more substantial than white rice, but also wanted a bit of silkiness from the white rice.  I'm sure if you used one or the other it'd be fine.
**They sell prechopped Andes mints, so if you have those, use about 2/3 a cup.

Peppermint Vs. Andes - Peppermint Bark Cookies

 For a while now I've been wanting to make super rich, chocolatey, brownie-like cookies.  And come winter my cravings for mint chocolate cookies start to grow.  But then the question became do I go the route of Peppermint or Andes mints?  So I decided to do a mint cookie bake off...one recipe, two refreshing, cool, minty variations.  In both cookies, the chocolate mixture I use is rich and deep but not too dark.  They have a slight crisp to the outside but a soft, gooey brownie like texture on the inside.  Theses cookies are intense, guaranteed to please any chocolate lover!  I built this recipe after studying about ten or so variations, putting together what I thought would make the perfect cookie and if I haven't made I'm pretty darn close!  You can try both and decide for yourself which on is superior!

This is the Peppermint Bark Cookie post.  I added crushed Peppermints to the mix for a lingering, warm, almost spice from the peppermint.  The peppermint adds a great crunch within the cookie.  And the white chocolate chips add a creamy, smooth, sweet balance to the peppermint and completes the peppermint bark effect of the cookies.  

The process to this is pretty much identical to the Andes Fudge Cookies, but I figured it'd be easier to follow as two separate posts.

Peppermint Bark Cookies

Recipe a Jesicakes original
Makes 18-20 cookies

Ingredients

- 1/3 cup split between brown rice and white rice flour*

- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 4 oz 60% cocoa chocolate, chopped (I use Ghiradelli, 4oz is one baking bar)
- 2 oz semi sweet chocolate chips (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 6 oz white chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup crushed candy canes plus extra, set aside extra.**

*I used both because I feel like brown rice flour is more substantial than white rice, but also wanted a bit of silkiness from the white rice.  I'm sure if you used one or the other it'd be fine.
**I used 6 candy canes which was the perfect amount.