We’ve started our holiday baking a few days early. With everything on our to do list this week, this is probably a good thing. Today I’m baking up a new cookie which I suspect will become a holiday favorite, and the Chef will be baking up three kinds of chocolate chip cookies.

The new cookie, Chocolate Mint Cookies, are a Mrs. Fields cookie, so, yea, I’d expect them to be pretty damn good. The mint flavor is delicate and works perfectly with the chocolate so that neither overwhelms the other, and the Chef (who doesn’t particularly like mint) thinks they’re okay. So far, the kids are loving them.

Chocolate Mint Cookies
2 2/3 c. AP Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3/4 c. Packed Lt. Brown Sugar
2/3 c. Granulated Sugar
2 sticks Salted Butter, softened
3 Large Eggs
1 tsp. Mint Extract
10 oz. Mint-Chocolate Chips*

In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Mix well with whisk and set aside. In large bowl, blend sugars and butter; beat to form a grainy paste. Add eggs and extract. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed. Add flour and chips and blend until just combined. Do not over mix. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet covered with parchment paper 1 1/2″ apart. Bake 20-21 minutes. Cool on rack.

*I made two batches together and for some reason my daughter couldn’t find me a second package of mint-chocolate chips, so we used Andes baking chips/pieces and the one bag of mint-chocolate chips I had already combined.

Also, this is a very stiff dough. If using a hand mixer, definitely make only one batch at a time. If using a stand mixer, you may still want to keep it to one batch at a time. Recipe says it makes 3 dozen. A double batch made my just over 4 dozen.

Finally, you want to store these in their own box. The flavor can “bleed” onto other cookies, especially those with a more delicate flavor.