Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mint Choc Chip Cookies

My local supermarket has recently been selling their 'bakery' cookies at just 50p a bag and the kids have been pestering me every time we have stepped foot in the store to buy some. On a couple of occasions I have given in and bought some but always at the back of my mind is the thought, “but I could easily make these myself.” The simple reality of life is there really isn't enough hours in the day to do and make everything. However, when there is just a small amount of time available these cookies are the thing to make.

To give them a hint of mint I used some of the clear mints I had left over from my Triple Mint Chocolate Cake. I did think about adding some mint extract to mix then crossed it out in my notes, added it again and then substituted vanilla extract. Once tasted I'm glad I left the mint extract out as the mint sweets give plenty of mint flavouring. I used a bar of Basics dark chocolate which I gave a good bashing with my rolling pin. I used the same method to crush the mint sweets but put them first into a plastic bag to stop them from flying everywhere. These are definitely a good thing to make when you want to take your anger out on something! The dark chocolate combined with the cocoa powder makes for quite a rich cookie so use milk chocolate if you want something less intense.

With the mint and chocolate combination I am forwarding this for Choclette at Chocolate Log Blog and Chele at Chocolate Teapot We Should Cocoa challenge. This month's host Victoria at A Kick At The Pantry Door has decided the theme should be mint.

Makes 12

Equipment: 2 baking trays, greased or lined, rolling pin or other crushing implement, electric whisk

Ingredients

5oz (140g) Plain flour

1oz (30g) Cocoa powder

½ tsp (2.5ml) Bicarbonate of soda

4oz (110g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread

5oz (140g) Caster sugar

1 Large egg

½ tsp (2.5ml) Vanilla extract

3½ oz (100g) Dark chocolate chips or bar of chocolate broken up

2oz (50g) Clear boiled mints, crushed

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/Gas mark 5.

2. In a bowl sift the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda together and put to one side.

3. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk.

4. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract.

5. Add the dry ingredients then stir in the chocolate until combined.

6. Spoon the mixture onto the baking trays leaving room for the cookies to spread.

7. Bake for 15-18 minutes until set and then cool on a wire rack.

Oat and Sultana Cookies

Oat and Sultana Cookies but you use raisins, cherries or apricots.

These cookies used to be staples of the holiday baking sweet treats that I used to take away with us. The 'us' in those days used to be me, my Brother and my Dad. A couple of years later we were joined by my Husband and then a big gap before the kids arrived. I'm not sure why they went out of favour. I can only think that they got shunted out by lemon drizzle cakes and Bara Brith.

My Daughter isn't a fan of dried fruit so may be that's why I haven't made them in a while. When I say a while it has to at least 2½ years as my Son has never tried them and he loves dried fruit. Therefore when this month's Tea Time Treats, hosted by Karen at Lavender and Lovage and Kate at What Kate Baked, announced its theme as biscuits and cookies I knew it was time to make them again.

 

The reason I like these cookies is not only do they taste great, obviously, but also because once you have mixed everything together you put spoonfuls of the mixture onto trays and just cook. No chilling, no rolling up to be sliced and no rolling and cutting out. I also usually burn biscuits but these are thick enough to stop such disappointments and frustrations.

I use sultanas because they are the only dried fruit in a single form I keep in the larder in at all times. If you want to substitute them for raisins, cherries or apricots then go ahead.

Makes 24

Equipment: 2 baking trays either non-stick or greased/lined to stop the cookies from sticking.

Ingredients

80g Butter, softened

75g Demerara sugar

65g Granulated sugar

1 Large egg

½ tsp (2.5ml) Vanilla extract

50g Porridge oats

85g Plain flour

¼ tsp (1.25ml) Baking powder

¼ tsp (1.25ml) Bicarbonate of soda

130g Sultanas

Method

1. Prepare the baking trays by greasing/lining them if necessary.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/Gas mark 5.

3. Cream the butter with the two sugars. This may take longer than usual as they are both quite coarsely grained sugars.

4. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat in.

5. In a separate bowl mix together the oats, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

6. Add the creamed mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

7. Stir in the sultanas.

8. Spoon a little of the mixture onto the baking trays. These spread when cooking so leave a gap in between each one.

9. Bake for around 12-15 minutes. I turn the tray round halfway through. The cookies should be golden but not quite hard.

10. Leave them on the trays for about 5 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool and harden.