Homemade Thin Mints Make Ahead Freezer Safe Recipes

HOMEMADE THIN MINTS

Steps:

• Beat together softened butter, sugar, peppermint extract and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until combined and fluffy.
• Sift flour and cocoa powder into a small mixing bowl. Stir in salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until a dough forms, scrape the side of the bowl as necessary while mixing to ensure the flour is mixing well with the butter.
• Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten it into a disk, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• When the dough is firm but still malleable, take it out of the refrigerator and roll it into ¼" thick on a cocoa dusted surface. Cut with a 2" cookie cutter. Reroll the scraps and keep cutting out cookies until the dough is gone.
• Place the cookies in a container or lined baking sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes while the oven is preheating.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• When the oven is ready, place cookies on another parchment-lined baking sheet 1" - 2" apart and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 - 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Combine chocolate, coconut oil and peppermint extract in a heatproof bowl, set it over a pot of simmering water, stir until chocolate is melted completely.
• Dip cooled cookies in the melted chocolate using a fork, turn to coat both sides. Tap excess chocolate off and place coated cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow chocolate coating to dry completely at room temperature or refrigerate to speed it up.

HOMEMADE THIN MINTS - MAKE AHEAD - FREEZER SAFE

Steps:

• If baking immediately, turn oven to 350. (disregard if you are freezing).
• Cream butter until light & fluffy, then add powdered sugar and mix completely. Stir in salt, vanilla & cocoa powder. Mix until completely mixed, w/ consistency of thick icing/frosting. Add flour & mix just until combined. Don't mix too long!
• Form dough into a ball. Knead a few times, then flatten into a disk between 1/2" - 1" thick. Cover in plastic wrap then place in freezer for 15 minutes.
• Remove dough from freezer. Roll until very thin (1/8") on floured surface. Cut cookies using 1.5" cutter or rim of a small glass.
• Place cookies on a baking sheet & bake for 10 minutes.
• Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. While cooling, start prep of chocolate coating.
• Chop baking chocolate into very small, thin pieces. Place in a glass measuring cup along w/ the oil & microwave 15-20 seconds at a time until totally melted. Stir in peppermint extract.
• Drop cookies, one at a time into the coating. Turn to coat entirely. Place on parchment paper to set. (&/or place into refrigerator or freezer to set).

THE ULTIMATE HEALTHY HOMEMADE THIN MINTS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift them at least once to ensure no clumps of flour or cocoa powder remain. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and coconut sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the milk and peppermint extract. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.
• Transfer the cookie dough to the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap. Using a spatula, shape the cookie dough into a ½"-tall rectangle. Top with another large sheet of plastic wrap. Fold up the excess plastic wrap, and chill the cookie dough for at least 3 hours. (The cookie dough may be chilled for up to 2 days.)
• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
• Leaving the cookie dough between the sheets of plastic wrap, roll it out to ⅛" thick. Using Using a 1 ½"-wide round cookie cutter, cut out circles of cookie dough, leaving as little unused dough as possible. Pull the unused dough away from the cut-out shapes, and transfer the cookie dough circles onto the prepared baking sheets. Gather the unused dough, squish it into a ball between your palms, and roll it out between the sheets of plastic wrap again. Continue to cut out circles until all of the dough has been used.
• Bake the cookies at 350°F for 13-16 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Line two large baking sheets with wax paper. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl. (This size is perfect! I also highly recommend keeping the melted chocolate warm while dipping - see Notes!) Carefully dip each cooled cookie in the melted chocolate using two forks, and let the excess drip off. Place onto the prepared baking sheets. Let the chocolate harden completely before serving or storing.