Cousin of a Thin Mint Cookie

Just for kicks last year I tried to make a knock-off of maybe one of the most popular cookies in all the universe.  The truth: My self discipline was strong when facing all those Girl Scouts and I managed {for my hips' sake} to just say no.  Girl Scout season passed.  And wouldn't ya know, the craving struck when there was no way to purchase a cookie and I was without a single thin mint in my freezer.  

These have some good qualities when compared to a Thin Mint (in my meaningless, unimportant, irrelevant opinion in cookie tasting matters), but also different.  If you like dark chocolate, you will love these.  I did a side-by-side comparison and Thin Mint cookies have that crispy-airy texture of a Ritz cracker inside.  This cousin-cookie had less airiness and more substance, more crunch...which I liked.  This also has more of an intense mint flavor and definitely a more intense dark chocolate flavor.  I can't say these cousins are better than a Thin Mint, because, well, that would be just stupid.  Nothing is better than a Thin Mint:)  Enjoy this cookie straight out of the freezer, like any experienced Thin Mint cookie consumer already knows.


Play around with the chocolate coating to please your palate.  Melted semisweet chocolate with a little butter and some peppermint tasted really good, but were a bit tacky at room temperature and required freezing.  They will look something like this:

This year, I went with the coating used for Grandma Stella's Bon Bons because the Gulf Wax makes it more like a Girl Scout Thin Mint.  The cookie to chocolate ratio is more like the original.  {it also prevents all those fingerprints on the cookies, which I don't care for}  They look more like this:

Roll dough into small logs {about 1 1/2 inch diameter}.  

Keep dough very chilled, keeping logs in refrigerator or slightly frozen when not slicing to bake.  Cut cookie very thin.  

As thin as you can without the cookie falling apart.  This will help bake a light, crispy cookie in 10 minutes.

The sliced cookie measured about 1/8 inch thick.  Skinny, man.  Cut them skinny with your thinnest paring knife.

Dip 'em and place on wax paper to set, a couple hours before you start eating.  {They taste better when they have time to set.  Eating right away almost leaves a waxy mouth feel. Patience is the key.}

{Cousin of a} Thin Mint Cookie

recipe by Stella B's Kitchen

printer friendly version

FOR THE COOKIES:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup malted milk powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

12 tablespoons butter, cubed

1/2 Tbsp vinegar

1 small egg, slightly beaten

2 Tbsp water

1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract

Blend dry ingredients.  Cut butter with pastry blender into dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs, like you would for a pie crust.  In a small bowl, mix vinegar, egg, water and peppermint.  Using a stand mixer, combine the wet and dry ingredients til thoroughly combined.  Dough will be sticky.  Scrape dough onto two or three sheets of wax paper, pressing into a log shape.  Roll up in wax paper.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes, re-roll for a better log shape once dough sets up a bit.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a baking mat.  Once thoroughly chilled, at least an hour, take one log out of refrigerator.  Slice cookies 1/8 inch thick, as thin as you can get them.  Rotate log as you cut and gently roll periodically to keep a nice, round log.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until crisp when cooled.  {try baking a couple cookies first to determine proper thickness and bake time to get a crisp cookie}

Cool and set aside.  You will get about 100-130 cookies, depending on how thick you slice and the diameter of your logs.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT COATING:

16 ounces Semisweet or Bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or chips)~your preference here

2 1/2 ounces Gulf Wax  *chop fine to melt faster*

1 tsp pure peppermint extract

Using a double boiler, melt chocolate, Gulf Wax and peppermint til smooth.  Dip cookies.  Place cookie on a fork, submerge in chocolate, lift out cookie and allow excess chocolate to drip off, tap fork on pan/bowl while holding cookie over bowl of melted chocolate to remove excess chocolate.  Place on wax paper to firm up and set.  {Let rest a couple hours} Store in airtight container or freeze.

*depending on how warm/hot the chocolate is and how much you allow to drip off...and how big/thin your cookies are, the chocolate peppermint coating will be enough for the entire batch, give or take 15 cookies.

And p.s.  Please support your local Girl Scouts!  No 'hate' comments, por favor!  This recipe is for weirdos, like myself, who like to make things from scratch and find it oddly therapeutic and a fulfilling pastime...and convenient when the little cuties in the green vests (or are they sashes?) with intricate patches are loooong gone.  Peace.  Love.  And Girl Scout cookies.

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