It’s February, which means BRING ON THE CHOCOLATE! This month I have a couple of great new chocolate recipes to share with you, beginning with these Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies.
February always seems like the perfect month for chocolate – in part because of Valentine’s day (really, is there any other acceptable V-day treat??), and in part because it’s still winter, still cold, and still dark out most of the time. Hand me the chocolate, please.
Chocolate Mint – Decadent and Refreshing
I absolutely love a deep, dark, chocolate cookie. Full disclosure – I think Oreos may actually be my favorite cookie of all time. I know that’s a controversial thing for a baker to say, but I’m standing behind it – the Oreo can’t be beat.
Except maybe by these cookies. They are the closest I’ve come to an Oreo-like flavor, though they’re softer and denser than an Oreo (and don’t have the creamy filling). They’re darkly, richly chocolate. To get that deep dark chocolate flavor, I used my favorite – Dutch cocoa powder. You could use regular baking cocoa in this recipe, but it won’t be nearly as decadent.
To counter that dense chocolate flavor, I added a touch of mint extract for freshness. The combination of mint and chocolate is another one of my favorite things, so it was a natural choice. (But if you’re not a mint fan, these cookies would be just as delicious without it.)
This is a quick recipe to toss together. They don’t require much prep time, and no chill time. Just cream the butter & sugars, add the eggs and vanilla, and mix in the dry ingredients. Then form the dough into balls, roll in powdered sugar, and bake!
I added a heart-shaped chocolate to the top right after baking – you can do the same or skip them. I used these Dove dark chocolate hearts, but any chocolate heart-shaped (or not heart-shaped) candy will do. If you can find mint-flavored ones, so much the better, but regular chocolate will do just fine.
Whip up a batch of these cookies for your Valentine, your Galentines, your co-workers, your neighbors, your mail carrier, or just to treat yourself. You won’t be sorry.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 c flour
- 3/4 c dutch cocoa powder*
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- 1 c butter, softened
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1 c brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp mint extract
- powdered sugar, to roll cookies in
- 22-24 heart-shaped chocolates optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light & fluffy – about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and mint, and mix until combined.
- Mixing on low speed, slowly add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all dry ingredients are mixed in well.
- Put powdered sugar in a small bowl. Then, using a medium cookie scoop, two spoons, or your hands, roll dough into balls (about 1-1 1/2 in) and then roll in powdered sugar. Make sure balls are thickly covered in powdered sugar. Place on prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, or until edges start to look dry and centers are set.
- Remove from oven, and place a heart-shaped chocolate in the center, pressing down to flatten slightly.
- Allow to cool on cookie sheets for 5-10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days.