Homemade Thin Mint Cookies for Your Inner Girl Scout
Danielle Oron is the force behind popular recipe blog I Will Not Eat Oysters and a former Yahoo Food Blogger of the Week. She’s also the chef and owner of Moo Milk Bar in Toronto, and, most recently, author of the cookbook Modern Israeli Cooking. Below, she reimagines the Thin Mint in all its homemade splendor.
Photos: Danielle Oron
After purchasing my dehydrator, no on-its-way-out herb stood a chance. I have containers full of dried chives, cilantro, rosemary, sage, and thyme, just waiting to be used. Here’s how I showcase my dried mint.
I put the dehydrated mint through a spice grinder, which produces a super green and fragrant powder. It smells so good! A large bunch of mint translates to only a tablespoon of powder, so I’m treating it like powdered gold.
However, you don’t need to own a fancy dehydrator to make these cookies. Simply dry your mint by picking the leaves off their stems, placing them on a parchment-lined pan on your kitchen counter, and letting them completely dry, which could take up to three days. Once they’re dry, you can grind them in a spice grinder to make a fine powder. Alternatively, you can skip the dried mint powder altogether and substitute it with a few drops of mint extract, which is added to the recipe’s white chocolate.
Use a little or a lot of mint powder in this recipe, depending on your preference. The crispy and chocolatey cookie, which was intended to be the vehicle for the powder, is quite delicious on its own. The cashew meal gives it a slightly nutty flavor, while the Turkish coffee powder enhances the chocolate notes.
Homemade “Thin Mint” Cookies
Makes 28-30 cookies
2 ¾ cups (345 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (65 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon (5 grams) Turkish coffee grinds or espresso grinds
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup (85 grams) cashew meal
16 tablespoons (2 sticks, about 226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cup (250 grams) sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (180 grams) good quality white chocolate, chopped roughly
Dehydrated mint powder, to taste (you can make this in the microwave if you don’t own a dehydrator, or substitute with a few drops of mint extract)
Sift the flour, cocoa, coffee, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the cashew meal and mix until evenly distributed. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluff, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to cream for another 5 minutes until light and fluffy again. Add in the flour mixture and combine on low speed until the dough comes together.
Divide the dough in two and wrap each in plastic wrap. Press them into a disc for easy rolling later. Place the discs in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 325˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone pad.
Roll the cookie dough out on a lightly-floured surface to a ¼-inch thick. Cut out circles 3 inches in diameter with a floured cookie cutter. Transfer the cookies onto the baking sheet. If this is difficult to do and they begin to warp as you transfer them, place the cookie sheet in the fridge before cutting out the circles. Bake for 18 minutes and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. (Add a few drops of mint extract to the melting chocolate if you are not using the mint powder). Drizzle the chocolate over top of the cookies, or alternatively, you can dunk them into the white chocolate. Sprinkle with a little or a lot of mint powder to taste. Enjoy!
More Girl Scout stories to munch on:
Finally, Girl Scout Cookie Sales Go Digital
How to Make Vegan Samoa Girl Scout Cookies
Official Girl Scouts Cookie Oven Is Here — But Don’t Expect Perfect Thin Mints
