Chocolate Cookies: a variation on a theme

Last month, I chose to make the homemade oreo cookies, because, well, as stated earlier in this month's recipe post, I love making cookies! In fact, I've had an "oreo" cookie recipe bookmarked in my phone for several months, but I just hadn't had the time to bake them. Ironically, making these cookies aren't nearly as time consuming as I thought they'd be.

Long story short, the cookies were a success, but I overflattened and overbaked the first batch, resulting in big, thin, crispy cookies. The second batch turned out much better; I didn't really flatten the balls of dough and then baked them for only 8 minutes. Perfect.

Next time, I might try minting the cream filling...

Speaking of mint... (nice segue, eh?)

This month, I submitted the Mint Chocolate Cookie recipe. I did so because I had all of the necessary ingredients on hand. At least, I did until my husband decided to make the oreo cookies again last night for a bake sale at work today. So, I was left with a paltry 1/4 c of cocoa. So I went ahead and made a 1/4 recipe. And I'm glad that I did. These were pretty yummy. Here are my 1/4 recipe measurements with alterations:

4T butter

7/8 c sugar

1/2 egg

1 t peppermint extract

1/2 c flour

1/4 c cocoa powder

1/4 t b soda

1/4 t b powder

1/8 t salt

1/4 c dark chocolate chips, chopped

I used my AWESOME (new) cookie scoop that makes 1 1/4 t balls of dough--love this gadget-- and didn't flatten said balls (mostly because I forgot to do so). And I baked them on a silpatted cookie sheet for 10 minutes, cooled them on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack. They were bitty cookies that could be eaten in two quick bites. And that's all you need. The flavor is pretty big and sticks with you. They really do taste like the cookie form of an Andes Candy. I think next time I would do one or some of the following:

• increase the amount of chocolate chips (a 1/4 cup was all I had on hand)
• dip them in chocolate
• sub brown sugar for the white sugar to make a chewier cookie