Farmhouse Chocolate Mint Cookies

These cookies bring back such fond memories for me. I still remember the first time I had them. It was probably 8 years ago. It was right before Christmas and my friend Linley gave us a cute decorated brown paper bag. Inside we found the yummiest chocolate mint cookies I'd ever tasted!

We used to live just down the road and across the school playground from each other. If the school playground grass wasn't there we said we would have lived on the same street. 

Thinking about this brings back memories of a day in June when our newborn Ammon was sick and I was taking him to the doctors. My mom had flown in the day before. She was at the house with the kids and Johann. He was going to walk Simeon to Carson's house for a birthday party. Life changed very quickly for us after arriving at the doctors office and Ammon going grey on me. Johann walked Simeon to the party and told her what was happening with Ammon. Linley was one of the earthy angels that were placed in our path that day. She brought Simeon home from the party where he felt such enjoyment to find out his new baby brother was fighting for his life.

OK back to the cookies. Linley's Farmhouse Mint cookies have earned their spot as an absolute favorite cookie in our house. We like them so much that we don't just make them at Christmas time. Simeon had them for his birthday treat last year!

The original recipe calls for an Andes Mint on top of the cookie. We LOVE them this classic way. Then when Hershey came out with white chocolate peppermint kisses, I tried those one year. They are great and gives them a pop of red and white on top. Then this year we tried another topping-caramel with sea salt. 

Oh man all 3 are are so yummy and we eat way too many of them!!

Farmhouse Chocolate Mint Cookies

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 T water

12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 lb Andes Mints (2-3) boxes

or 1 pkg peppermint Hershey kisses

or a batch of simple caramel sauce*

1 Place butter, sugar and water in a sauce pan on low heat until butter is melted. 

2. Add chocolate chips and stir until almost melted. 

3. Remove from heat. Continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. 

4. Pour into a large mixing bowl and let stand about 10 minutes to cool. 

5. With mixer on high speed, beat in the eggs one at a time. 

6. Reduce speed to low and add combined dry ingredients until just blended. 

7. Chill dough for 1 hour.

 8. Heat over to 350*. 

9. Roll dough into balls. Place 2" a part on greased cookie sheet. 

10. Bake 9-10 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE. 

11. Immediately place mint (peppermint kiss or caramel sauce) on hot cookie. Allow to soften, then swirl mint to cover top of cookie. 

12. Remove from cookie sheet and cool. 

Makes 40-50 cookies.

*Caramel sauce-I used a handful of caramels and a little bit of milk to thin it. I melted it in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds or so. I spread a generous spoonful on each cookie, then sprinkled a little salt on each of them.