Growing up, I took getting pinched on St. Patrick’s Day very seriously. I pulled on green PJs the night before and painted my nails green too (you can never be too careful!). In the morning, I slid into a green shirt and green socks, and I pulled back my hair in a green elastic. Just to be safe, I made sure my underthings were green too. The kids on the playground would pinch hard if they caught you without green.
In high school, I eased back and simply wore a festively colored shirt, and by the end of college, I was lucky if I remembered to slip a green hair tie on my wrist. Thank goodness college kids are usually too caught up in midterm season to notice the color of your clothes on St. Patrick’s Day!
My attempts at holiday-themed food have followed the same trend. As kids, our mom would dye our pancakes green with food coloring for breakfast, and she sent leprechaun’s chocolate gold coins as a treat in our lunch boxes. After school, we baked green sugar cookies cut into shamrock shapes, then doused them with green icing and sugar sprinkles.
Other than the one year in college where my guy decided to cook corned beef, we rarely do anything for the holiday. A scoop of mint ice cream here, a salad with extra spinach there, maybe even a green smoothie for breakfast…
So in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day and trying to make a better effort this year, I baked these Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies to go along with the popular beer bread from earlier this week. Soft, chewy, and bursting with peppermint flavor—these cookies didn’t stand a chance!
I sent one batch home with my parents, where my dad proclaimed them the best cookies I’ve baked in months, and I gave my guy another batch to take to work, where one girl admitted to hoarding half a dozen. They’re definitely a sweet way to celebrate the holiday!
To maximize the chocolate and mint flavor, I mixed mini chocolate chips and chocolate mint candies into my favorite basic cookie dough. However, I forgot about one tiny detail…
Junior Mints, the first candy I used, have a liquidy mint center, which melts like crazy in the oven and turned cookies into paper-thin discs. I tried freezing the candies both before and after chopping them, but that didn’t help at all.
So I turned to another candy: Peppermint Pattie Minis. Those have a solid mint center, so I hoped they’d fare better while baking. I still chilled the cookie dough to help minimize any flat-as-a-pancake risks!
The resulting cookies spread a lot in the oven, but not quite as haphazardly as their Junior Mint cousins. Therefore, it’s extremely important that you shape the mounds of cookie dough to be at least as tall as they are wide on the pan before baking because this will give the cookies a little more height.
I only managed to snag one cookie before giving them all away, but based on the reviews… When St. Patrick’s Day comes, I’m definitely baking a double batch!
| Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies | Print |
- 1 c (120g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp cornstarch
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ c (106g) light brown sugar
- 10 (40g) York® Peppermint Pattie Minis, diced
- 1 tbsp (14g) mini chocolate chips
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the brown sugar, smearing out any lumps along the side of the bowl. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the peppermint patties and ½ tablespoon of mini chocolate chips. Chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Drop the dough into rounded mounds onto the prepared baking sheet. Press the remaining mini chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
To further reduce spreading, make sure to shape the mounds of cookie dough at least as tall as they are wide before baking. If the cookie dough is still sticky after chilling and not possible to roll, use a silicone spatula instead.
A silicone baking mat will reduce the spread more than parchment paper. I highly recommend using one!
{low fat, low calorie}
More mint chocolate chip recipes from other food bloggers…
♥ No Bake Mint Chip Lush by Crazy for Crust
♥ No Bake Mint Chocolate Chip Shamrock Cheesecake by The First Year
♥ Chocolate Mint Chip Cupcakes {In A Jar} by Glorious Treats
♥ Andes Mint Chocolate Chip Fudge by Sally’s Baking Addiction
They don’t sell York Peppermint Patties where I live, but I bet these cookies would still be incredible with just the chocolate chips. They look so delicious and buttery just from the pics!
Thanks Nicola! You’re so sweet! 🙂
Oh goodness, the girl at your boyfriend’s work, the one who was hoarding your cookies.. hahaha. If only she could be my friend too, I need someone to eat my food!
I bet she’d be happy to be your friend Beth! 😉 Here where I live, anyone will be your friend if it means they get homemade goodies… Which is great for me because I shouldn’t eat everything by myself!
we would need a double batch for sure!
That must mean the cookies would be approved by your pickier eater — that means a lot Heather! 🙂
I love the combination of chocolate and mint. Add it to a cookie and I’m sold!
Thanks Shelby!