Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

 Do you ever just trust a person when they share a recipe?!  There are a few bloggers/friends if they say something is good I trust them whole-heartedly!  This recipe comes from one of those bloggers and I was not disappointed :)  These cookies turned out soft and delicious.  My family loved them minus my child that hates anything that contains mint.  

I had a bag of the regular Andes mint chips to use from the baking aisle, but the Andes peppermint pieces would be AMAZING, too I'm sure :)

Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

1 cup (8 ounces) butter, cool room temperature (not warm or overly soft!)
3/4 cup (5.5 ounces) lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs (3.5 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (3 ounces) crushed or finely chopped regular or peppermint Andes mints (In baking aisle or holiday section)
Additional 1/2 cup or so crushed or finely chopped Andes mints for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer), cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar together until well-mixed, 2-3 minutes.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just combined (it's ok if there are a few dry streaks). Mix in the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup crushed Andes mints until combined and no dry streaks remain.

Scoop the dough and shape into heaping tablespoon-sized balls (I use a #40 cookie scoop) and gently roll the tops into the additional crushed mints, pressing lightly into the plate or bowl of crushed mints so they stick to the top of the cookie dough ball.

Place a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-11 minutes (watch closely and don't overbake; the edges will be set with soft middles).

Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe Source:  Mels Kitchen Cafe