Petite Mint Cookies

You know those Smooth and Melty Mints - the ones with the nonpareil sprinkles on them that taste creamy and minty and ohhhh-so-good? Well, what you may not be aware of is that they're also known (in mini form) as petite mints and they make awesome cookies. ← FACT.

A couple months ago, I went to the store to grab a bottle of wine for a wine night, and since chocolate naturally goes hand-in-hand with red wine  -says me, obvi -  I had to stop to check out the chocolate bar selection too.  On my way out of that (apparently dangerous) aisle I saw the mints, and it took me about two seconds to decide that a bag of those was also necessary. Not longer after, the idea for these cookies was in my mind. Fate is real; I swear.

I've since stocked up on a big stash of petite mints and made that idea a reality: soft and chewy cookies studded with fresh and creamy petite mints and itty bitty nonpareils. There's a *littttle* touch of peppermint extract in the cookies too, so as to up the minty flavor, and the overall combo is A++. The truth is, I was a little worried that my idea would turn out to be this concoction I'd built up in my mind that ended up being weird in real life, but it SO works. Eating these feels like having an after-dinner mint and a dessert in one -  in cookie form, that is, because cookie form = the best form. ;)

I hesitated on whether to consider these a Christmas cookie since all the fun pastel colors make me think of spring, but when I eat them I can't deny that the the cool, smooth minty flavor screams winter, Peppermint White Chocolate Mochas, and December dessert. I'd definitely advocate making them year-round, but get them on your dessert table before the holidays are over! AND, if you need some more last-minute holiday dessert ideas, here's a quick recap of some recent ones and a few older favorites:

Pecan Sandies • Chocolate-Dipped Gingerbread Cookie Dough Truffles • Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Peppermint Mocha Kahlua Ganache • Classic Gingerbread Man Cookies • Dark Chocolate Almond Florentines • Peppermint Mocha Brownies • Cinnamon Sugar Candy Cane Twists • Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Marshmallows • Mini Apple Pies • Mini Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

 
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Petite Mint Cookies

Soft and chewy cookies studded with colorful petite mints for a sweet winter treat.

• Cook Time: 13 minutes
• Total Time: 13 minutes
• Yield: about 16 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 10 ⅝ ounces (2 ½ cups, spoon and level) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 5 ⅝ ounces (¾ cup) brown sugar
• 3 ½ ounces (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 9 ounces (1 ½ cups) petite mints*, plus extra for tops of cookies

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a bowl and handheld electric mixer), cream together the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and beater and add the egg and yolk one at a time, beating each in until fully incorporated and wiping down bowl/beater as needed. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix in on lowest speed until mostly incorporated. Add the petite mints and fold in by hand just until all ingredients are evenly combined and mints are dispersed.
4. Transfer cookie dough to an airtight container and chill in fridge for at least one hour before baking.**
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Scoop dough into 2 ¼ ounce (or about ¼ cup) portions and roll each into a ball. Place on baking sheet, spread well apart with no more than 6 cookies per sheet (they'll get much bigger as they bake). Press a few extra petite mints into the top of each cookie, if desired.
7. Bake cookies at 350ºF for 13-15 minutes, until tops no longer look wet and cookies are puffy, flipping and rotating trays halfway through time. Cool cookies on trays for 10-20 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days, or in the refrigerator for longer storage.

Notes

**I'm not sure how widely available petite mints are in local stores, but the larger Smooth and Melty Mints are usually easy to find, so you could chop them up and use them instead.

**The cookie dough can also be kept in the fridge for a longer period of time - up to about a few weeks - if you prefer to bake the cookies later.

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