Holiday Cookie Exchange, or some such.

The lovey Ms. Fairchild, of What Was I Thinking?! has hosted a blogger Christmas Cookie Exchange today. In honor of this event, I bring you the following recipe:

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Cookies: 1 C sugar; 1/2 C butter (or butter-flavor Crisco), softened; 1 tsp. vanilla; 1 egg; 2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted & cooled; 1 C flour; 1/2 tsp. salt. (Yes, I know there's no baking powder or soda... TRUST me on this.)

Peppermint Frosting: 2&1/2 C confectioner's powedered sugar; 3 Tbls. milk; 1/4 C butter; 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract.

Fudge Drizzle: 1/4 C Butter; 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips; 2 Tbls. corn syrup.

Directions: Heat over to 375F; mix sugar, butter, vanilla, egg and chocolate. Stir in flour and salt. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonful on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each slightly with the bottom of a greased glass dipped in sugar. Bake 6-8 minutes -- DO NOT OVER-BAKE! Cool completely before spreading peppermint frosting evenly over each one. Heat ingredients for fudge drizzle gently over stovetop until melted and mixed smooth. Drizzle holly leaves, trees, stars or other design, or randomly, over each cookie. Let the fudge drizzle set and cool completely before covering or wrapping the cookies.

Makes about 3 dozen.


For those of you who are visual, the lovely SoozieQ made cookies from this very recipe just last night, and was kind enough to publish them on her Flickr account.

Oh, and just so you know? They really complement a cup of hot cocoa made with peppermint schnapps... smarshies optional!