Thin Mints (Copycat Recipe)

Although I love thin mint girl scout cookies, I have never purchased a box of these delectable cookies myself. However, something about the combination of flavors just always leaves me longing for more! 

 

I decided to search for a recipe for these goodies, and discovered this absolutely superb one. They tasted almost identical to the real thing! The cookie inside was buttery, chocolate-y goodness, and they were coated in a layer of smooth, peppermint flavored, dark chocolate :) 

They are also much healthier and cheaper than the regular cookies. That awards them another star in my book!

THIN MINTS

from::here

FOR THE COOKIES
8 Ounces Butter
1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Cup Sucanat Powdered Sugar (Sucanat is a healthier alternative to sugar; to make my powdered sugar, I simply blended 1 1/2 cups of sucanat with 1 tbsp. of cornstarch in my blender until it turns into a powdered consistency. However, you can certainly use plain old powdered sugar if you wish.)
1 Teaspoon vanilla
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cups Flour

FOR THE COATING:
10 Ounces Dark Chocolate
1 1/2 Teaspoons Peppermint Oil (Add small measurements at a time to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter until light and fluffy, then add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Stir in the salt, vanilla and cocoa powder. Mix until the cocoa powder is integrated and the batter resembles a thick frosting. Add the flour and mix just until the flour is combined, making sure to not over mix.
Form dough into a ball. Knead a few times to bring together, then flatten into a disk between half an inch and one inch thick, cover in plastic wrap then place in freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove dough from the freezer and roll it out really thin on a floured surface, about 1/8-inch. Cut cookies using 1 1/2-inch cutter (any shape or design you like, we ended up using the lid of a small orange juice bottle since the circle was the perfect size). Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. While the cookies bake, make the peppermint coating. Chop the baking chocolate into very small, thin pieces. Place in a glass measuring cup or similar container and microwave in short 15-20 second bursts. Stir in the peppermint extract. Feel free to add more peppermint as you see fit.
Gently drop the cookies, one at a time, into the coating. Turn to coat entirely, then lift the cookie out of the chocolate with the fork and bang the fork on the side of the pan until the extra coating drips off. Place on a parchment or plastic wrap-lined baking sheet, and repeat for the rest of the cookies. Place the cookies in the refrigerator or freezer to set.
These will be best eaten from either the freezer or fridge, since they start to get a bit melty when outside. They should last for months in the freezer so you can enjoy until the Girl Scouts come around again... or til you want to make another batch.