Mint Chocolate Cookies

I had just started a new job (many moons ago now). I was yet to be married, so still working under my maiden name.
A couple of weeks into it, I am sitting at my desk, minding my own business and this little lady (maybe 5 ft tall) comes flying up to me.
"What is your father's name?"
(She almost sounded angry, I wasn't sure if I should answer or not)

I answered and her face just lit up like sunshine.
"I knew it!!" She yelled! (we had quite the audience at this point)

She then proceeds to tell me that she worked with my father at another company (in the same building we currently worked in, funny enough) when I was born.
She then went on about how my father would come in with pictures of me to show off to everyone.

How sweet!

I promptly emailed my father and asked if he knew Ms. So-and-So.
I think if he could have jumped through the email he would.

"OMG she was my boss for a few years. I have never had a boss like her before, or ever again. I loved working for her!"

The next time my father was up visiting, we set a date to have lunch. It was a tearful , sweet reunion.
I know they kept in touch after that, which they both enjoyed.

We lost her a few years ago to cancer. She is well missed.

She lives on though, in a pile of recipes she had emailed me over the years. This is one of them.
The cookies are amazing...but oh my word are they serious when they use the term "sticky mess"!

Ingredients:

1 Box devil’s food cake mix

2 Eggs

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp oil

½ Cup cocoa

1 Pkg chocolate chips

2-3 Drops peppermint extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Combine cake mix, eggs, water, oil, and cocoa (blend well, this WILL be a sticky mess)

3. Let dough stand for 20 minutes

4. Shape into very small ½ inch balls

5. Smash down dough balls with a spoon covered in cooking spray

6. Bake for 8 minutes

7. Let cool to room temperature

8. Heat chocolate chips in double boiler

9. When chips are completely melted, add peppermint extract

10. Frost cookies with mint chocolate mixture or dip cookies in mixture

Print

This Recipe was shared on:
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Tuesday: Pint Sized Baker, A Peek into my Paradise, The Bitter Side of Sweet, The Road to 31, Cornerstone Confessions, My Joy Filled Life, Table for Seven, Yesterfood, Chef in Training, Mandy's Recipe Box, Kathe with an E
Wednesday: Recipes for our Daily Bread, Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Wine and Glue, White Lights on Wednesday, Buns in my Oven, Ginger Snap Crafts, Mom's Test Kitchen, Lady Behind the Curtain, Crafty Allie, Lemoine Family Kitchen
Thursday: Lambert's Lately, Sweet Haute, Sweet Bella Roos, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Embracing Change, The Nourishing Gourmet
Friday: The Grits Blog, Play Party Pin, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Endlessly Inspired, Dizzy Busy and Hungry, A Peek into my Paradise, Craft Dictator, Cooking with Curls
Saturday: Six Sisters Stuff, Whats Cooking with Ruthie, The Weary Chef, Cheerios and Lattes, Simply Gloria
Sunday: A Peek into my Paradise

Mint Triangles

I was given, during one of those at home parties, a Pampered Chef mini cookbook. I have made some of the desserts in it, and they have all been good.

The girl child and I spied these in the book and started drooling. Not to mention, hubby is anti-mint chocolate (some weird childhood thing. Whatever.) so we knew we could make them and have them be safe, and ours, and yummy.

I got all the ingredients, with the exception of the almond bark. 4 stores I went to! No almond bark, no candy melts, no white dipping chocolate. Nothing. :::sigh:::
There were a few things I was ordering from Amazon, so I added some candy melts to the order.

In the meantime...my mother came to visit.
My mother has a sweet tooth like you only read about!
I kept chasing her away from the "snack shelf" to make sure she didn't eat my mint cookies!

Package arrived....dessert was made.

Since then, I have been to TONS of stores...and they ALL have almond bark or candy melts. :::sigh:::

Ingredients:

Crust

2 (10 oz) packages of fudge covered mint cookies

½ Cup butter

1 ¼ Cup semi sweet chocolate morsels

Filling and Topping

10 oz Vanilla Almond Bark

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 Tsp peppermint extract

6 Drops green food coloring

¼ Cup semi sweet chocolate morsels

Directions:

Crust

1.  Place half of the cookies in a large resealable bag. Crush into very fine crumbs. Repeat with remaining cookies.

2. Place butter and chocolate morsels in small bowl. Microwave on high for 1-1.5 minutes or until butter is melted.

3. Stir until smooth

4. Add chocolate mixture to crumbs, mix until all crumbs are moistened.

5. Spread moistened cookie mixture over a small/medium sheet pan. Pack firmly using hands.

6. Place into freezer for 10 minutes.

Filling

1. Microwave almond bark, uncovered, on high 2-3 minutes. Stir every 30 seconds until bark is mostly melted.

2. Stir until smooth.

3. Whisk in extract and food coloring

4. Spread filling over crust, set aside.

Topping

1. Microwave remaining morsels, uncovered, on high 30-45 seconds or until melted.

2. Place in small resealable bag, twist top, and cut off corner.

3. Drizzle over dessert.

4. Let stand until chocolate is firm.

Print

My candy melts I searched high and low for

Soooo rich! Make sure you have milk on hand!

This recipe was shared at: The Lady Behind the Curtain, The Tasty Fork,  White Lights on Wednesday, Buns in my Oven, Lambert's Lately, Sugar and Dots, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, Embracing Change, Gooseberry Patch, The Bitter Side of Sweet, Sweet Haute, The Grits Blog, The Brambleberry Cottage, and With a Blast

York Peppermint Ice Cream Bars

My daughter and I share the love for everything mint chocolate.

We are not sure if our obsession has to do with just complete love for the flavor...or out of desperation for something hubby won't grab for when he is in a sugar mood.

The girl and I know that we can have peppermint patties, Thin Mints, and mint chocolate chip ice cream undisturbed.

While at BJ's one day, my daughter spotted these. She had the big, wet, puppy dog eye look going....so of course I said "yes"...no ulterior motive....nooooo.

From the first bite we were in love.

Not too pepperminty (is that a word?)
Not too chocolately (another questionable word)

But very, very large. We tend to cut them and split them.
Would I buy these again? Absolutely!

Disclaimer: This is my opinion and my opinion only. There has been no compensation for this posting.