Swirls of goodness on top of delicious

Yesterday was a kitchen kind of day - but not because I was cooking or baking all day but because the kids were crafting, and so was I! They were painting their yearly Christmas ornaments for family members, I was making ornament gifts for Sunday School leaders at church. While we were all in the kitchen, I decided to make these amazing cookies. I saw a video of someone swirling the Andes Mint on top and was sold instantly. I made the dough - which had to chill for 2 hours. Not surprising I was still in the kitchen when baking time came. These are a small batch of cookies which is perfect for us, especially since I have kids who don't like chocolate or mint. After you put the mint on the hot cookie you have to wait for it to turn glossy and melty - then I used a knife to swirl around the mint - not too much, I didn't want to mix in the green too much into the chocolate. These took a little time to cool and set, but oh are they so good! If only I did a cookie exchange still! These will certainly go into the - make again column.

Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons milk (any kind, dairy or nondairy, is fine)

Coating & Topping
1/2 cup granulated sugar
22–24 Andes chocolate mints, unwrapped

In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 2–3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Switch to high speed and beat in the milk. The cookie dough will be thick and sticky.
Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is imperative for this sticky cookie dough.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. Scoop and roll dough, 1 heaping Tablespoon (about 25g) of dough each, into balls. Roll each in granulated sugar and arrange 2–3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes or until the edges appear set. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2–3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
Cool cookies for just 2 minutes on the baking sheet. Press 1 Andes chocolate mint into the top of each warm cookie. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes, and then use a knife, icing spatula, or toothpick to gently swirl/spread the melted chocolate.
Transfer “frosted” cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool. Andes chocolate sets in less than an hour, so you can easily store, stack, and transport the cookies.
Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.