With Sprinkles on Top

Let’s talk about leaveners, baby.

One of the many things that I love about America’s Test Kitchen is that they often educate you about why your ingredients do what they do. To acheive a thin, crisp cookie, using two leaveners is recommended. Counterintuitive, don’t you think? One would assume that more leaveners would equal more bubbles and a more fluffy baked good. Wrong. As it turns out, doubling the leaveners creates huge bubbles that help the dough rise…. and then burst to help the dough fall (resulting in a flat and crispy cookie). I hope you liked your semi-useless trivia of the day — now go make these delicious cookies!

Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe source: America’s Test Kitchen
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1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat the butter and sugars at medium-low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again.
5. With the mixer running at low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated and smooth. With the mixer still running on low, gradually add the oats and mix until well incorporated. Give the dough a final stir with a spatula to ensure that there are no flour pockets and that the ingredients are evenly distributed.
6. Scoop about 2 Tablespoons worth of dough and roll between the palms of your hand to form a ball. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2-1/2 inches apart (very important! these cookies are HUGE). Using your fingertips, press each ball into a 3/4-inch thickness.
7. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are deep golden brown — about 13-16 minutes; rotate the baking sheet halfway through to yield the best result. Cool the cookies thoroughly on a wire rack.

We’re three days into March, the month of St. Patrick’s Day and all things green.

I’ve got some St. Patrick’s Day-inspired recipes coming up over the next few weeks, as well as some recipes that include the color green.

Today’s recipe is for mint chocolate brownies – also known as heaven in an 8×8 pan.

These brownies are incredibly dense and rich – nothing light and fluffy here!

Yield: About 9 brownies

Mint Chocolate Brownies

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Oooey and gooey and minty!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup mint chips; divided use

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8" baking pan with parchment and spray with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Set a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and warm the butter until melted. Add the granulated sugar and stir well. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder.

3. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs and vanilla. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl and whisk in with the eggs and vanilla until well combined. Gently stir in the flour and salt; do not beat or over mix. Fold in 3/4 cup of mint chocolate chips.

4. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth top with an offset spatula. Evenly distribute the remaining 1/4 of mint chocolate chips across the top of the brownies.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Take care not to over bake. Cool completely.

Notes

Your yield will depend on how big or small you cut your brownies.

Recipe credit: My Baking Addition

Thin Mints are the best selling Girl Scout cookie (and it’s no wonder why!). Thin Mints are my second favorite and I always, always have to eat them frozen (they somehow taste more minty and more delicious that way).

Homemade Thin Mints
Recipe source: bakingbites.com
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2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Dark chocolate coating:
10-oz dark or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
3. Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches (or about 4 cm) in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.
4. Preheat oven to 375F. Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick – if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp – and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.
6. In a double boiler, combine chocolate and butter. Melt until chocolate is smooth. Chocolate should have a consistency somewhere between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating. (you can use the microwave for this step, just take care not to burn the chocolate)
7. Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.
Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.

Makes 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

It’s Girl Scout cookie season! Unfortunately for me, I don’t know any Girl Scouts and haven’t had the chance to order any cookies this year. My favorite Girl Scout cookie is the Tagalong (which should come as no surprise given that it’s a combination of two of my favorite things: chocolate and peanut butter). I am a devout follower of We Are Not Martha and almost squealed with delight when I saw this recipe! It’s a simple and delicious recipe – and they taste just like the real thing. Check back tomorrow for a recipe for Thin Mints!

Homemade Tagalongs
Recipe source: We Are Not Martha
Print Recipe

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (you could use milk or dark chocolate as alternatives)

1. Cream together butter and sugar using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer. Beat until smooth. Then add in the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated and smooth.
2. Turn the mixer to low and add in the salt and flour. Mix until well incorporated.
3. Shape dough into a cylinder with a diameter of about 2-3 inches. Wrap the dough in parchment paper and put it in the freezer for at least 25 minutes (I froze mine overnight).
4. When the dough is sufficiently chilled, slice it into 1/8 inch disks and place on baking sheets. Slice 30 cookies and then wrap the remainder of the dough in plastic wrap and stick it back in the freezer for another time. If you want to use all the dough to make about 60 cookies, you’ll want to double the measurement of peanut butter, confectioner sugar, and chocolate that you use later.
5. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. Then place the cookies on a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
6. Make the peanut butter filling by mixing together the peanut butter and powdered sugar.
7. Melt the chocolate chips over a double broiler (or in the microwave).
8. Assemble the cookies by pressing small discs of peanut butter onto each cookie. Then dip the cookie into the melted chocolate and coat.
9. Place coated cookies on parchment or waxed paper to cool.

I’m escaping to Florida for the next 10 days! Key West and Disney, here I come. I have a bunch of posts scheduled, but I won’t be able to approve comments or answer emails until I return. Hope you’re all having a great weekend!