Mint Bliss Andes Candies Cookies

Let’s discuss cookies. Namely, we’re going to talk about all-butter cookie recipes. They suck. They don’t work. Don’t even bother. I’m serious. Don’t try them. Every time I try an all-butter recipe I get pissed off because they turn out flat. No matter how much extra flour I stuff into the bowl, the cookies still spread in the oven and turn out flat as a pancake. Yeah, yeah. They taste good (nice and buttery), but they look like sh*t.

The original recipe I followed for these cookies is no exception. It’s based off a recipe my grandma sent me for peppermint cookies. I hate peppermint so I decided to swap mint extract for the peppermint extract and Andes Candies for peppermint pieces. Going against my gut (because the cookies in the pictures looked so damn good – thick and fluffy), I attempted the all-butter recipe and was, once again, disappointed. Never again. I swear! But with a few tweaks I believe I nailed the recipe the second time around.

Here’s what I said about these cookies back in 2012:

Another thing about the recipe … Seriously – what the hell? Who bakes cookies at 350 degrees. That takes F.O.R.E.V.E.R. Everyone knows basic cookies (like chocolate chip cookies) are baked at 375 degrees. Why did I bother following this direction, too? (This is seriously the most bogus recipe ever.) I believe I left my first pan of cookies in for about 16 or 18 minutes before finally pulling them out (and they still didn’t look done) before jacking up the temperature of my oven.

The cookies didn’t taste half-bad but they didn’t bowl me over, either. Let’s put it this way. I wouldn’t serve them in my bakery. These are my suggestions if you want to try this recipe: swap out half a cup of butter for either margarine or vegetable shortening (trust me – you’ll thank me for this) and bake at 375 degrees instead of 350. That way you can bake the cookies for 8 or 10 minutes instead of double the time. Also, mix the Andes Candies directly into the dough. Bon appétit!

When I recreated these cookies the second time I followed my own recommendations and they turned out fabulous (if you’re a mint lover). The recipe has been adjusted to reflect the necessary changes.

ingredients.

• ½ c. butter, room temperature
• ½ c. crisco or margarine, room temperature
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ½ to 3 c. self-rising flour (I swear to God I used 4 c.)
• 2 c. chocolate chips (mixture of semi-sweet and milk or mint)
• 1 tsp. mint extract
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 c. chopped Andes Candies

directions.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine butter, sugars, eggs, extract and salt and beat until just combined. Add flour. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Use a cookie scoop to scoop dough. Dip tops into Andes Candies. Place candy-side up on a baking sheet. (Note: This doesn’t work if you’re using Andes Candies instead of peppermint. They melt all over the place and generally look terrible once you pull them from the oven. Skip this step. Instead throw the Andes Candies into the mix along with the chocolate chips.) Bake in center oven for 10 to 13 minutes, until puffy (never going to happen) and lightly tanned.

Recipe rating: 