Chocolate Mint Creams

At first, I had a little trouble finding the pastel mint kisses for these cookies from "BH & G Cookies for Christmas" – but then I found them at Walmart and at both of the Amish groceries we frequent!  I remembered them from years ago, and hadn't even looked for them until recently. 

The cookbook recommends letting the kisses melt on the cookies and then frosting them – the ones I found didn't melt all that well, even putting them back in the oven, so we settled on just putting them on top and letting them melt so they stuck to the cookie – the were bright and pretty that way.  They actually cool to a delicious crisp cookie, although they are very soft when they come out of the oven.

Chocolate Mint Creams

  1 1/4   Cups  Flour, All-purpose -- 5 3/4 ounces

     1/2   Teaspoon  Baking Soda

     2/3   Cup  Brown Sugar -- packed , 5 1/3 ounces

  6          Tablespoons  Butter

  1          Tablespoon  Water

  6          Ounces  Semisweet Chocolate Chips -- 1 cup

  1          Large  Egg

     1/2   Pound  Pastel Kisses

Stir together flour and baking soda.  In a medium saucepan, heat and stir together brown sugar, butter and water over low heat until butter is melted.  Add chocolate chips and heat and stir until chocolate is melted.  Pour into a large mixing bowl and let stand for 10-15 minutes until cooled.

Beat egg into chocolate mixture; stir in the flour mixture till well mixed.  Dough will be soft.  Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours or till easy to handle.

Shape into 1 inch balls.  Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350° oven for 8 minutes.  Remove and immediately top each cookie with a mint.  Return to the oven and bake about 2 minutes more or till cookies are done.  Swirl the melted mints with a knife to frost cookies.  DO NOT OVERBAKE - they are very soft when they come out of the oven.  Let cool on the pan a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.

2013 Cost:  $5.59 or 12¢ per cookie or 96¢ per dozen.

  "4 Dozen"

Per Serving: 51 Calories; 3g Fat (44.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 30mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.