Mint Chocolate Truffle Cookies

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There are so many fun activities during the holidays, but one of the ones I enjoy the most is a Christmas Cookie Swap! I took part in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011 put on by Julie from the little kitchen and Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil.  I sent out 1 dozen cookies each to three different bloggers, and each of them sent me 1 dozen cookies each. Oh, how much fun! I received 3 different and delicious varieties of cookies that were all so good! Thank you Missy  and Kristina! Here is a short story about the recipe I made. Once upon a time, I was the chef for a gourmet restaurant up in the mountains, in a small town that is a college town with a football team. The restaurant was part of a hotel that would house the visiting team when there was a home game. During those weekends, the restaurant would provide all the meals for the team. Well, planning meals for a bunch of football players is not the easiest job. The menu isn't difficult, it's the portions. All of the players eat A LOT!! So planning was challenging. On one particular weekend, we served them these cookies. I don't think I have ever gotten the kind of response from anyone eating my food, that I got that day! They loved them. They insisted that I come to the banquet room to meet them, so they could thank me. They even made me promise that I would make the cookies again the next night ( and extras), and that when they came back to play again, that I would make these for them! So, I consider these cookies a winner, and that is why I sent these cookies as my cookie swap cookies. By the way, this recipe is not an old family favorite. It is from Kraft foods. I guess they do know what they are doing!! :)

Mint Chocolate Truffle Cookies

6 ounces Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate or Chips

3/4 cup Butter

1 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 3/4 cups Flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/3 cup chopped Candy Canes

I would tell you to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

But, once the mix is mixed, it needs to sit in the fridge

for at least 2 hours, or even overnight. So, don't turn

the oven on yet!

 Over medium low heat, melt the chocolate and the

butter in a pan on the stove.

Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

Take off the heat. Stir in the sugar.

Pour the mix into a bowl for easier mixing.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly

after each one.

Add the flour and baking powder. Mix well. 

Your dough will be very soft.

Cover the dough with plastic and refrigerate for at least

2 hours, and overnight if you like.

 While your dough is in the fridge, crush the candy canes.

Crack about 10 candy canes into smaller pieces,

then place the pieces in a plastic zip lock bag.

Take a hammer and start hitting the candy canes to 

crack them. You may want to do this outside. I placed

mine on a cutting board, and hit it gently.

Now, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Scoop the dough

with a small 1" scoop or use teaspoons.

Roll the dough into 1" balls and place on your baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. These cookies don't always look done

when they are done. But 10 minutes is good. Any longer,

and they get too hard.

Remove the cookies from the oven.

Sprinkle the chopped candy canes onto the cookies.

You can press a little bit when you put them on.

These cookies can be made ahead of time, and

frozen for 1 month. Isn't that great?!

Enjoy!

Interested in joining the

Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 

next year?

 Click for further info.
 
Thanks for joining me!