I can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by. I feel as though I just blinked and the Holidays are already upon us. In my house, that means more baking for family and friends who will be stopping by and even more for the numerous gatherings I will be attending. Much of my baking involves the production of many different types of cookies, and some have a few more secrets for a great result than do others.
For a perfect chocolate chip cookie, one of these secrets is to find the right blend of dark and light brown sugar and the just right amount of granulated sugar. The dark brown sugar adds more color than texture, the light brown sugar add moisture and the granulated sugar adds the requisite crispiness. I created this cookie recipe last year and people just love it, so I thought that I would share it with you. I use peppermint oil instead of a peppermint extract because it gives a lovely taste and smell to the final product without a chemical aftertaste. I purchase my natural food grade oils from a place called Ananda Apothecary, but you can get it just about anywhere…just make sure that it is a natural oil (food grade) from the peppermint leaf.
If I have them on hand, I sometimes add some broken up pieces of Andes mints in place of some of the chocolate chips, but that is strictly up to you…they are definitely minty enough with the amount of oil I have provided for in the recipe. When it comes to baking, it’s better if you use a food scale for consistent results, but I’ve also provided and approximation for each ingredient in cup measurements.
These not only look beautiful but they taste even better…crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Try them this weekend, and I know that they will become a regular part of your Holiday baking schedule.
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes about 28- 3oz cookies)
1# butter, cold, salted
8.5 oz granulated sugar (about 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
2.5 oz dark brown sugar (about 4 tablespoons)
7.5 oz light brown sugar (about 1 cup packed)
6.5 oz eggs (1 large egg is about 1.8 oz, so about 3 whole eggs plus 2 tablespoons)
35 drops of peppermint oil
.3 oz corn syrup (3 teaspoons, if you do not want to use this, increase the amount of light brown sugar to 8 oz)
1# 8 oz flour (1 cup flour is about 5 oz)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1# 8 oz chocolate chips (use the weight on the bag as a guide)
Add the cold butter to the bowl of your stand mixer, along with all of the sugars. Using your paddle attachment, mix everything together until the butter is completely incorporated but don’t over whip. Add the eggs, corn syrup and peppermint oil to a small bowl and once you no longer see any more butter in the mixture, add the wet ingredients to the mixture and combine well…but again, do not over mix. Then slowly add the flour and baking soda and mix everything until you no longer see any flour. Lastly add the chocolate chips and again mix until everything is combined. The biggest mistake most people make is overmixing…so don’t be tempted to let it go for too long. Pour the dough into a large bowl and make sure that it is all well mixed, then use a scoop and portion out the dough onto a paper lined tray. Place this into the freezer to chill for at least 2 hours before baking, but 48 hours will give you the best results. Once frozen, you can put the dough into a large Ziploc bag or a tub and leave it in the freezer, and bake the cookies directly from the freezer. The dough does not need to be thawed, which is why this dough is so convenient.
When ready to bake, place the dough on a paper lined tray and bake in a 350°F oven for approximately 12 minutes. The cookie will take on a golden color around the edges and just slightly brown on the top and may still look pale in the center…that’s ok…it will continue cooking on the sheet pan, so pull them at this time and allow them to cool and set. Then enjoy!
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