chocolate-mint truffle cookies

After many weeks (or months) of saying I was going to make the chocolate-mint truffle cookies, I finally made them. They actually weren't too hard to make. I learned a few things, and I think the next time I make the whole process will go a lot smoother. But I didn't light anything on fire so I'd say it already went really smooth.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/8 tsp. peppermint extract (I just used mint extract)

1 cup flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1 pkg. (4.6 oz) mint Andes candies, chopped, divided

2 tsp. shortening, divided

1/2 cup vanilla or white chips

1. Over low heat, melt butter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Remove from heat; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.

2. Stir in the egg, sugars and extracts.

3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture.

4. Fold 3/4 cup Andes candies.

5. Roll dough into balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

6. Bake at 350˚ for 8-10 minutes or until tops appear slightly dry.

7. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely. (I forgot to do this with one of the little cookies, and it tore off the bottom. So I highly recommend the wire racks.)

8. In a microwave, melt 1 tsp. shortening and remaining chocolate chips and Andes candies; stir until smooth. Melt vanilla chips and remaining shortening; stir until smooth.

9. Dip half of the cookies in melted chocolate mixture; dip remaining cookies in melted vanilla mixture. Immediately sprinkle with toppings of your choice. Let stand until set.

Yields about 2-1/2 dozen.

OK. So I mostly followed the recipe. I actually forgot to put in the salt, so I guess it doesn't fall apart without that 1/8 tsp. I would probably make the little chocolate balls a little smaller. Oh, we didn't make any vanilla topping — why make vanilla when you have chocolate? Also, I would dip the cookies once. Wait, then dip them again. I think it would have a better coating with two dips. For toppings, I favored the chopped almond.

This recipe is from the November/December 2009 Taste of Home.