Chocolate Mint Creams

Liam said "da" on Monday. Not a word yet, the books say—babbling, syllable repetition, developmentally on schedule—but he looked at Sean when he said it, specifically at Sean, and Sean's face did the thing it does when Liam does something significant, this complete unguarded response that I love because Sean is not a man who is unguarded except with this child. He said "da" and looked at Sean and Sean said "yeah, buddy" very quietly and I was in the kitchen and heard all of it.

I'm taking a short cooking class. A friend from work—Priya, who has been on the oncology floor for two years and has become the person I eat lunch with and complain to and whose food opinions I trust—is taking a class on Indian cooking at a place in Cambridge and asked if I wanted to come. I said yes, which is the kind of decision you can make now that Liam is almost one and Sean is fully capable of a Saturday afternoon without me. The class is six sessions on Saturday afternoons: February and March. I'm going to learn to make biryani and dal and something with coconut milk that I've been badly approximating for years.

Made chocolate chip cookies on Sunday because Liam is going to be one in eight weeks and I'm thinking about his birthday cake, which I've decided I'm making myself because I want to make it and it should be good. Testing chocolate. The first batch went to Sean and my mother and Margaret and the verdict was: excellent. Keep the recipe. I wrote it down this time.

The batch of chocolate chip cookies I made Sunday was about testing — testing the chocolate, testing myself, figuring out what works before Liam’s birthday cake has to be perfect. While I was in that mode, already thinking in chocolate, I came back to these Chocolate Mint Creams, which hit a different note entirely: a little more grown-up, a little more composed, the kind of thing you make once and immediately write down. Sean and my mother both reached for seconds without being asked, which is the only verdict that matters.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 35 min (plus chilling) | Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2–3 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1–2 drops green food coloring (optional)
For the chocolate coating:
8 oz semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1 tablespoon coconut oil or shortening

Instructions

Make the dough. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, milk, vanilla, and peppermint extract and mix until combined.
Add dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Divide into two discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll and cut. Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 1 1/2-inch rounds. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until set. Do not overbake — the cookies should be firm at the edges but not dry. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the mint cream filling. Beat powdered sugar, softened butter, heavy cream, and peppermint extract until smooth and spreadable. Tint with green food coloring if desired.
Sandwich the cookies. Spread about 1 teaspoon of mint cream onto the flat side of half the cookies. Top with a second cookie, pressing gently. Refrigerate 20 minutes to firm up.
Coat in chocolate. Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a double boiler or microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Dip each sandwich cookie fully in chocolate, let excess drip off, and set on parchment to harden. Refrigerate until firm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chocolate Mint Creams — Testing for the Birthday Cake That Has to Be Perfect