Tag Archives: mint

Chocolate Cookies with Mint M&M’s

 

What better way to celebrate the month of March and welcome spring with some green! These can be a very versitile cookies. Prior to baking you can top them off with just about anything your heart desires. I ran out of mint M&M’s (since my husband found my stash) so I had to use some butterscotch chips at one point.

 

This recipe yields 54 cookies using a size 60 scoop.

Pre directions: preheat oven to 350 degrees and paperline two half sheet pans with parchment paper.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups of Ap flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa

2 large eggs

1 cup raw sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 stick unsalted butter (softened to room temp)

3/4 cup vegetable shorten

2 tsp pure high quality vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

162 Mint M&M’s

Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Cream butter, shorten, and both sugars in stand mixer on medium to medium high speed.

2. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time. Beat after each addition. Set aside.

3. In a seperate bowl whisk together both flours, cocoa, salt, and soda.

 

4. Gently add flour mixture to creamed batter and mix on low to incorporate.

 

5. Once everything is well mixed and without dry residue remove paddle attachment and scoop cookies onto the pan by using #60 scoop. Sccop evenly 12 cookies to a 1/2 sheet pan.

6. Spray bottom of drinking glass with cooking spray to flatten the cookie slightly. 

  

 

7. Place 3 M&M’s to a cookie and press slightly to prevent the candy from falling out of place

  

 

8. Bake for 9 minutes on 350 degrees. Allow cookie to cool for 1 minute on tray and then remove to wire rack to cool the remainder of the way.

 

Enjoy !

 

 

Mint Brownies with Chocolate Ganache

IMG_1250

Today is National Registered Dietitian Day. In honor of the celebratory day. I made the team mint brownies to go with a cute idea I found on pinterest regarding appreciation and coining “mint” through the poem. I tweaked a poem for teachers to relate to registered dietitians and it goes like this:

Thanks for your dedication and commit-“mint” to our team.


Thanks for your encourage-“mint” to always do our best.

Thanks for your involve-“mint” in making our patient’s lives better.

Thanks for your invest-“mint” of time and energy 
to make Trinity such a great place to be.


Thanks for making each day an enjoy-“mint” to come to work.

Thanks for helping to create a nice environ-“mint” 
for our co-workers and students to learn and grow.

Everything you have done this year has really “mint” a lot to me!!! Happy RD Day!

 

The original recipe can be found on Bob’s Red Mill Blog and only yields a 8 by 8 inch amount.

This recipe Yields: 1 13 by 9-inch pan (32 brownies)

 

Prep work: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 by 13 with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside

Ingredients:

For the Brownie Layer

3 sticks (24 tablespoons) Unsalted Butter
6 oz  squares Dark Chocolate ( I prefer Trader Joe’s 72 %)
6 large Eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure Mexcian Vanilla Extract
3 cups Raw Sugar or Granulated Sugar
1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour

For the mint layer:

6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
3 cups Powdered Sugar
3 tablespoons Skim Milk
1 1/2 teaspoon pure Peppermint Extract ( I used Watkins)
4 drops Green Food Coloring

For the chocolate ganache topping:

3 ounces Dark Chocolate
3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

Directions:

1. Using a double boiler method, melt the butter and chocolate for the brownie layer. Once all the chocolate and butter has been melted remove from heat and allow to cool slightly and add each egg separately to the melted chocolate batter. Whisk after each addition. Place the chocolate mixture in a large bowl and add sugar  and vanilla to the chocolate batter whisk to incorporate. After all the sugar has been blended throughout add both flours and whisk to separate throughout. Place the batter into the prepared foil oven safe baking dish and place in oven for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

 

IMG_1242

 

Or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool completely on rack.

2. Once the brownies have cooled start the second layer, the mint layer. Place butter in a stand mixer bowl, place on medium to high speed and cream butter, decrease speed and gradually add the powdered sugar, milk, food coloring, and mint extract. Mix until everything is smooth and creamy and the color of the filling is to your liking.

 

IMG_1244_2

 

Place filling on top of cooled brownies using a spatula to spread evenly. Place brownies in refrigerator to so that the filling layer can harder before placing the ganache.

 

IMG_1246_2

3. Once the mint filling layer has hardened, prepare a second double boiler for the ganache. Place the dark chocolate and butter in the double boiler and allow the chocolate and butter to melt completely. Once everything has melted place the ganache on top of the mint layer. Spread evenly with a metal spatula. Cover the brownies with a plastic lid or plastic wrap and allow to cool completely before cutting into bite size pieces.

 

IMG_1249_2

Helpful hint:  I let the brownies cool overnight in the refrigerator. I cut them in the morning and placed in recycled jam jars. Three brownies fit perfectly in each jam jar. I placed a decorative muffin paper-cup on the top (I used tape to help the cup stay on the lid to make for easy tying later). I did place wax paper between each brownie as I was stacking to help them prevent from sticking together.

 

I tied them off with using a colorful string and placed my “mint” poem to each jar. I also included a lanyard and a coupon for our gift shop at the hosptial. Just something small to show my team how much I appreciate them. The good news about this recipe is I made 7 jars with 3 brownies in each jar which means I only used 21 brownies which left plenty leftover to share with others!

 

Enjoy!

 

IMG_1252_2