Homemade Thin Mints

Here are a few truths about life.

Most of the reason I bake is so I can get my hands on the batter.

Your hair is ALWAYS going to look best 2 minutes before you get in the shower.

Shampoo smells better than conditioner and there's nothing we can do about it.

Every year, girl scout cookies get harder and harder to track down.

I'm not joking about that last one.  You don't want to know the things I would do to get my hands on a few boxes of tagalongs, samosas, and of course everyone's favorite, the thin mints.  I have literally gone to the girl scouts' website to find a way to order them online.  Can't be done.  You literally have to track down an actual child scout, and once you get to the point at which you're honestly considering trying to do just that, you know you're a creepy weirdo.

But I can't get them out of my head.  The thin mints.  They call to me.

So, I made some.  No biggie.  They're really not quite the same... but they're a great substitute for when the craving hits and there are no scouts to be found.

Homemade Thin Mints

(adapted from Baking Bites)

Cookies:


2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup corn starch
6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp peppermint extract


Chocolate Coating:


1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips (you can use all semisweet if you prefer)
1/2 cup butter


For the cookies, whisk together flour, corn starch, cocoa powder and salt.  In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  On low speed, mix in milk, vanilla and peppermint extract to the butter mixture.  It will appear curdled.


Stir in the flour mixture a little at a time until well combined.


Shape dough into two logs about 1.5 inches in diameter and wrap in plastic wrap.  Freeze for between 1-2 hours.  Remove from freezer, and rotating often, slice the log into 1/4 inch coins.  Place cookie coins on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes at 375, or until the edges are firm.  Remove cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before dipping in chocolate coating.


For the chocolate coating.  In a double boiler (or in a heavy duty glass bowl placed over a saucepan filled with boiling water) melt butter and chocolate chips together, stirring often.  Once smooth, dip each cookie in the chocolate mixture, turn, and remove to wax paper to set.  I found my chocolate coating so thick that, using a fork and butter knife, turned my cookie, lifted it using the fork, and gently scraped off excess chocolate back into the bowl using the knife, careful to make sure a thin coating of chocolate still remained on all surfaces of the cookie.  


Allow chocolate to set completely.  This could take between 30 minutes and 2 hours.