A Christmas favorite! Put these cookies under your tree and you’ll be Santa’s favorite!
Makes 4 dozen
- 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate- coarsely chopped
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup extra light virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons good vanilla
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder ( King Arthur Flour.com)
- 1 bag Andes peppermint crunch baking chips
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over (but not touching) gently simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer- beat together the eggs and sugar until well blended. Add the oil, vanilla, espresso powder and the melted chocolate and beat again until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to shape, at least 2 hours and up to 24. Preheat the oven to 350⁰. Have ready an ungreased baking sheet (I use parchment paper as well.)
Put the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl- set aside. Using a 1” cookie scoop – roll dough into balls. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar coating evenly – don’t skimp on this, the more the better! Place on the baking sheet 1” apart.
Bake until the cookies have puffed up and the surface cracks showing the chocolate beneath, 8-10 minutes. Immediately press a pile of Andes mints on top of each cookie. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze.