Chocolate Covered Mint filled Chocolate cookies

A crisp rich dark chocolate cookie, not too sweet with a minty cream filling coated in chocolate of course.

I felt like a fresh mint cookie.  I like my desserts, especially cookies, but I don’t like things too sweet.  

I like to be able to have another and not feel ill.

Dark chocolate and cool light peppermint. One of my favourite ice cream flavours is chocolate mint chip.

I thought,  I want a dark buttery cookie to offset the light sweet refreshing mint.  I don’t want a soft cookie.  A thumbprint cookie? No.  It would need a cover, a coating, of chocolate!

A crisp dark chocolate cookie with a mint filling and chocolatey coating!  

Like a Girl Guide cookie? I was asked as I created aloud.

I guess I recreated the chocolate mint Girl Guide cookie.

But this is not your neighbour’s Girl Guide cookie!

I used dutch processed cocoa for a darker and richer chocolate cookie.

I have made one tablespoon size scoops, but you could make them bigger.  I do like the idea of having a couple of cookies though.

These cookies freeze well -not necessarily to keep longer, I like them frozen, but yes, they will keep longer that way.

You can also shape, then freeze the cookies to be ready for baking, then fill and dip in chocolate. 

How to Make Chocolate Covered Mint filled Chocolate coated Cookies

1. Grease or line a cookie sheet.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together and mix well.

3. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until smooth.

4. Beat in one egg.  Once that is well incorporated, beat in the other egg and the vanilla.

Scrape the bowl often.

5. I add half of the flour mixture and starting at a very low speed mix it in until well combined.

If your low speed isn’t very low, mix it in by hand at first.

6. Add the rest of the flour mixture.

7. It will be quite stiff, like for shortbread. If you find it is much too stiff to work with, add a tablespoon of cream.

8. Flatten it a bit, to reduce chilling time and wrap or cover.  

9. Refrigerate at least 2 hours for the dough to relax and be easier to roll in balls.

10. While the dough chills, you can prepare the filling.

11. Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

12. Shape the dough into 1 tablespoon (11g) balls. 

13. Flatten slightly, indent and freeze for about half an hour. I make a wider indentation rather than a thumbprint type, I like to spread the mint out. You can use a lid from a bottle.  A wine cork is good for this  size.

*NOTE!

You can stop here and leave them frozen and finish working on them another day, just make sure they are well covered so they don’t dry out.

The filling.

1. In a medium bowl, beat the butter a bit, just to spread it around.

2. Beat in the powdered icing sugar.  It will be dry.

3. Beat in the extracts.

4. Mix in enough cream to make it spreadable or pipeable.

Set aside, but do not refrigerate if you are going to use it now or it will be too firm.

Assembly

1. Bake the cookies at 350°F (180°C) for about 12 minutes. Immediately re-indent if needed, and cool completely.

2. I pipe about a teaspoon of the mint filling on the baked cookie.  You can scoop or spread.  Refrigerate again to make dipping easier.  

3. In the meantime, melt the chocolate.

4. Combine the coconut oil, or butter and the chopped chocolate.  

You can melt this using a double boiler, but I prefer to microwave.

There is less chance of any moisture getting in to seize the chocolate up.

Just microwave for 20 seconds and let it stand for a minute.  Move the chocolate around in the bowl then microwave it again for about 20 seconds.  Let it stand for a minute and stir until it has all melted together.  Try to use the heat from the melted chocolate to melt the rest.

If it needs another burst of the microwave then add another 15 seconds.

The time will depend on a few things, one is how small you chopped your chocolate.

Stir the chocolate well so it is properly combined and it will start to cool a bit. Stir as it cools.

5. Dip the tops of the cookies and lift, tilting the cookie, then tap some excess chocolate off with a knife or similar.  Try to tap the cookie part because the filling not where the filling is, it will melt a bit and mix into the chocolate.

Chill, freeze or leave out depending on your plans.