Chocolate Mint Cookies

These cookies were fun to make and disappeared quickly from the cookie jar! If you are fond of the popular "Thin Mint" girl scout cookies, you should try this recipe. Although they have a softer texture, and are not dipped in chocolate, the taste is very similar. Best of all, these cookies are healthier than most. This recipe is definitely a keeper!



Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Cooking spray


Directions:

• Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda in a small bowl. Stir together well with a whisk.
  

• Combine the brown sugar and next 5 ingredients (brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, applesauce, vanilla, and peppermint extract) in a medium bowl. bBeat with a mixer at high speed for 2 minutes. Beat in the egg white. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until well-blended.

• Coat your hands lightly with cooking spray. Shape the dough into a 6-inch log. Wrap log in plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut the log into 24 (1/4-inch) slices, and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

Yield: 2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

CALORIES 76 (22% from fat); FAT 1.8g (sat 1.1g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.1g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.7g; SODIUM 33mg; PROTEIN 1.2g; FIBER 0.2g

Source: Cooking Light, MAY 2001

"The Chewy" Chocolate Chip Cookies

After reading great reviews about Alton Brown's "The Chewy" I decided to try it, even though I already had a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. "The Chewy" is by far my new favorite! These cookies are soft on the inside but slightly crispy around the edges. After three days they still taste fresh baked. I highly encourage any chocolate chip cookie lover to try this recipe!

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Directions

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

• Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

• Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

• Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Source: The Food Network's Alton Brown

Chocolate Chip Cookies

After many years and many tried recipes, the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe is over! Since first trying this recipe about a year ago, I have not bothered to make any other recipe for chocolate chip cookies; this one is deemed perfect! I cannot reference the source because I have no idea where the recipe originally came from, all I remember is that I found it online, gave it a try, and fell in love!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups (24 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until blended, about 1 minute.

• The mixture may look slightly curdled. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just until it is incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

• Use a tablespoon to drop heaping spoonfuls of dough (about 3 level tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 3 inches apart.

• Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the edges are lightly browned and the centers are golden, about 14 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. The cookies will flatten slightly as they cool. Use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days.