Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

The secret is out. After Shabbat, all my girls discovered that I can bake. And well, if I do say so myself. They follow the scent of baked goods down my hall and end up in my room. Conveniently in time for curfew, too. I encouraged one of the second year students, and an ardent fan and supporter of what I do, to make a list of things that she wants me to bake. She wasted no time on that assignment, let me tell you. The first item on the list was something chocolatey and minty, a classic combination that, depending on who you are, is either a hit or miss kinda thing. I knew just where to look. Having made the mint bars already from the Cookie Companion and thinking that bars arent as suitable for out of hand eating as individual cookies are, I settled for cookies. I made the Chocolate Peppermint Cookies that appear at the end of the Chocolate Chip Cookie chapter. These cookies were delicious and soft and chewy and chocolatey with the perfect hint of mint. One of the girls said, is this a brownie in a cookie? The answer is obviously no, but they were that good. So good they disappeared in no time- not enough time, in fact, to photograph the flat discs of chocolate-mint nirvana. And so, I happily crossed off Chocolate Mint Cookies from the list and am contemplating the next bake...

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

3 sticks butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp peppermint extract

3 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Dutch process with perfect results)

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a bowl, place the fat and sugars.
Cream until light and airy.Add the egg and extracts,and blend until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips at once,

and beat to form a cohesive dough.

Scoop cookies by the tablespoon on to the cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies appear flattened and set. Remove from the oven and cool completely before transferring to a wire rack. Unfortunately, they disappeared before I could snap a photo.....