Chocolate-Mint Blossoms

Is it just me or did winter really kick into gear last week? This is usually the time of year I go into hibernation, but holiday party season has forced me to remain somewhat social, but come January 1st, my outings will be mostly limited to work, the grocery store, and Georgetown basketball games. Sad but true.  As a Southern Belle at heart, I was not built for cold weather. 

All of these parties have kept me busy in the kitchen, and fortunately, I have been pretty good about documenting most of it. So this is day 1 of catching up on my holiday baking. So as I say goodbye to my fall pumpkin fixation, I say hello to my winter obsession with chocolate and mint flavor combinations. These cookies are so festive, incredibly easy, and they liven up any holiday cookie platter (see picture below).

Here is what you will need:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine butter and shortening. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.

 Step 2: Add sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally.

Step 3:  Beat in egg, milk, and peppermint extract until combined.

 Step 4: Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Step 5: Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inche apart on an ungreased cookie sheet Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm.

Step 6: If desired, immediately press a candy kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack.

Recipe Courtesy: Better Homes and Garden Christmas Cookies Special

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

42 peppermint-swirl candy kisses or milk chocolate kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine butter and shortening. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and peppermint extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inche apart on an ungreased cookie sheet Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm.

3. If desired, immediately press a candy kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack. Makes about 42 cookies.

Crushed Oreo Cookies

When you write a food blog, people tend to talk to you about food--a lot. And obviously, I have a passion for researching new recipes, so I don't mind. Well, a few weeks ago at a friend's birthday party (a lady Gaga/Miley Cyrus themed birthday party, I should add), I was talking with my friend, Hannah (obligatory shout-out), about the one cookie recipe I was DYING to find--the Crushed Oreo Cookies sold at Wisemiller's in Georgetown a.k.a. the reason I gained the Freshman 15. That night, she got home and went on a google-mission and found this recipe for oreo cookies. As I read the recipe, I thought, "Could this be it???"

I am going to have to do an official side-by-side comparison at some point, but this comes pretty close to the real deal!

Thank you, Hannah!


Here is what you will need:



Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla.



Step 2: Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, and stir. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.



Step 3: Add crushed oreos and chocolate chips. (At what point does eating spoonfulls of batter stop counting as "taste-testing"?)



Step 4: Scoop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet (about 1 tablespoon). I sprinkled each cookie with crushed oreos (they looked like they needed a little extra oreo). Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cooked, but still soft. Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.





The full list of ingredients:

2 sticks softened butter
12 Tablespoons sugar
12 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
16 broken pieces Oreo Cookies (I thought it could use a few more cookies, actually--maybe 19 or 20?)
2 Cups chocolate chips