Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies

Yields 60-70 sandwich cookies.

• Prep time: 20min + dough and ganache chilling time
• Cook time: 10min
• Total time: 30min
• Difficulty: Basic

A classic combination of flavors packed into cookies. They’re buttery and wonderfully chocolatey with a lovely cooling aftertaste of mint on the tongue. The cocoa nibs and mint sugar add a lovely texture and flavor to the shortbread. They are optional, but they do add a lot to the whole eating experience, so if you have some on hand, spare a couple of minutes and sprinkle them over the cookies.

For the shortbread cookies.

Ingredients:

• 240g butter, at room temperature
• 200g sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 380g all-purpose flour
• cocoa nibs to decorate (optional)
• mint sugar to decorate (optional)

Directions:

In the bowl of your standing mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and egg, and continue to beat until well incorporated. Add the flour and mix it into the butter mixture on low speed until the dough starts holding together. Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface, divide it in half and shape each half into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a well floured surface, roll the chilled dough until it’s 3 mm thick. Cut desired shapes with cookie cutters. Carefully transfer to prepared baking sheets and top each cookie with some cocoa nibs and mint sugar. Re-roll scraps and cut out shapes. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven as soon as they start to get color on the edges. They should stay light in color and only get a slight light-brown color on the bottom. Cool completely on wire rack before filling. Plain cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

For the chocolate mint ganache filling.

Ingredients:

• 300g chopped dark chocolate
• 200ml heavy cream
• 2 handfuls fresh mint, bruised
• 4 tbsp mint liqueur
• 2 tsp butter

Directions:

Place the chopped chocolate in a heat resistant bowl and set aside. In a small, heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the cream and bruised mint leaves. Bring the cream just to a boil and remove from heat. Cover with a lid and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Bring the mixture to the boil again, strain and pour over chocolate pieces and let this sit for a few minutes, until the chocolate is melted. Add the mint liqueur and butter and gently stir the cream and the chocolate together until combined. You should get a thick and smooth ganache. Chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, stirring every now and then, just until the ganache reaches a silky spreadable consistency.
To assemble the cookies, spread about a teaspoon of the ganache on the bottom side of one cookie and top with another cookie. Sandwich the cookies together and transfer to an airtight container. The sandwiched cookies can be kept for 4-5 days.

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Commentary.

Category: Cookies

The shortbread is wonderfully short and buttery, while the cocoa nibs and mint sugar add some texture and flavor to it. Cocoa nibs and mint sugar are optional, but they do add a lot to the whole eating experience. Mint sugar is really easy to make. The process is the same as with basil sugar I used for delicious berry tarts not so long ago.  The mint chocolate ganache is silky, creamy and wonderfully chocolatey with a lovely cooling aftertaste on the tongue. All in all, a very successful cookie indeed.

Thank you!