Day 3 of 12: Mint Chocolate Cookies :) So, I went on a huuuuge baking spree last night.  Just because I’m crazy?  Mm. Maybe.  But no.  Today was “Academic Homecoming” at the high school I attended.  Before today, I hadn’t visited the high school ever since I graduated.  I actually hadn’t even kept in touch with very many teachers there.. So, I thought I’d visit them with some treats!  I made some mascarpone brownies for the sweet ladies who work in the front office, baked some cookies (these cookies) for a few of the counselors, and got a few of my favorite teachers other reunion gifts.  I was afraid being back would be suuuper awkward, but it was actually nothing short of awesome.  It felt amazing being able to reunite and catch up with all of the teachers around the school; I miss them so much, and they’ve made the greatest impact on my life.  As cheesy at it sounds, I definitely wouldn’t be who I am and where I am today without them.  They’re all so incredible, and sweet. :) I ended up spending about 8 hours in the kitchen last night.  I stumbled over a lovely recipe for black & white red velvet cookies while browsing some blogs, and I just couldn’t pull my attention away from it.  I had never tasted red velvet or black & white cookies, so I thought I’d expose myself to two new tastes in one swing.  Unfortunately, I ended up hating (that might be a stronger word than necessary..) these cookies, and didn’t find them fit to package as gifts, so I decided to go back to a trusty recipe and make these cookies. So, after Day 2, I still had a sufficient amount of Guittard’s mint morsels left.  I usually make these mint chocolate cookies with Andes mints melted on top, but I didn’t have any Andes on hand, so I decided to use the rest of the mint morsels.  These cookies turned out exactly like I wanted them to (love it when that happens!).  They were very brownie-like: soft, fluffy, chewy, and chocolatey.  I love the combination of mint & chocolate; the two tastes are such a dynamic duo, and you can hardly ever go wrong with them together.  My friends seemed to enjoy the cookies, but I did get some feedback about an odd texture in the mint morsels.  After being baked, a few of the morsels did get a bit on the chalky/crumbly side.  I definitely prefer these cookies with Andes, but I loved these the way they are, too. :) I got this recipe from Lovin’ In The Oven, who is also doing 12 Days of Cookies.  If you haven’t already, you should definitely check out her blog.  Her blog is one of the first baking blogs I’ve ever encountered, and she definitely inspired me to start this.  Her photos are AMAZING, and all of her baked goods always look sooo delectable.  Kudos to her for everything she’s done. :) So, it’s only Day 4, and I’m already starting to get nauseous at the sight (and mere thought) of butter and sugar.. But I really need to suck it up and keep going.  I’ve got cookies to make!  I’m really excited, though.  So many recipes bookmarked, and only a few days until my brother comes home!  I might have to withdraw myself from having ANY sugar after these 12 days, though.. Can’t wait to see what Day 4 has in store for me. :)

Day 3 of 12: Mint Chocolate Cookies :)

So, I went on a huuuuge baking spree last night.  Just because I’m crazy?  Mm. Maybe.  But no.  Today was “Academic Homecoming” at the high school I attended.  Before today, I hadn’t visited the high school ever since I graduated.  I actually hadn’t even kept in touch with very many teachers there.. So, I thought I’d visit them with some treats!  I made some mascarpone brownies for the sweet ladies who work in the front office, baked some cookies (these cookies) for a few of the counselors, and got a few of my favorite teachers other reunion gifts.  I was afraid being back would be suuuper awkward, but it was actually nothing short of awesome.  It felt amazing being able to reunite and catch up with all of the teachers around the school; I miss them so much, and they’ve made the greatest impact on my life.  As cheesy at it sounds, I definitely wouldn’t be who I am and where I am today without them.  They’re all so incredible, and sweet. :)

I ended up spending about 8 hours in the kitchen last night.  I stumbled over a lovely recipe for black & white red velvet cookies while browsing some blogs, and I just couldn’t pull my attention away from it.  I had never tasted red velvet or black & white cookies, so I thought I’d expose myself to two new tastes in one swing.  Unfortunately, I ended up hating (that might be a stronger word than necessary..) these cookies, and didn’t find them fit to package as gifts, so I decided to go back to a trusty recipe and make these cookies.

So, after Day 2, I still had a sufficient amount of Guittard’s mint morsels left.  I usually make these mint chocolate cookies with Andes mints melted on top, but I didn’t have any Andes on hand, so I decided to use the rest of the mint morsels.  These cookies turned out exactly like I wanted them to (love it when that happens!).  They were very brownie-like: soft, fluffy, chewy, and chocolatey.  I love the combination of mint & chocolate; the two tastes are such a dynamic duo, and you can hardly ever go wrong with them together.  My friends seemed to enjoy the cookies, but I did get some feedback about an odd texture in the mint morsels.  After being baked, a few of the morsels did get a bit on the chalky/crumbly side.  I definitely prefer these cookies with Andes, but I loved these the way they are, too. :)

I got this recipe from Lovin’ In The Oven, who is also doing 12 Days of Cookies.  If you haven’t already, you should definitely check out her blog.  Her blog is one of the first baking blogs I’ve ever encountered, and she definitely inspired me to start this.  Her photos are AMAZING, and all of her baked goods always look sooo delectable.  Kudos to her for everything she’s done. :)

So, it’s only Day 4, and I’m already starting to get nauseous at the sight (and mere thought) of butter and sugar.. But I really need to suck it up and keep going.  I’ve got cookies to make!  I’m really excited, though.  So many recipes bookmarked, and only a few days until my brother comes home!  I might have to withdraw myself from having ANY sugar after these 12 days, though..

Can’t wait to see what Day 4 has in store for me. :)

Tags: chocolate cookies mint