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Homemade Thin Mint Cookies

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Homemade Thin Mint Cookies are crisp, chocolatey wafer cookies dipped in minty chocolate.  Like the Girl Scout version, they’re highly addicting, but a couple of these are sure to satisfy the biggest chocolate cravings.

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  I’m finally getting around to posting a chocolate-mint treat, which is my favorite flavor combination around St. Patty’s Day.  I’ve wanted to do something much sooner, but I had to get through my last few weeks of cooking school, and there was definitely no time for any chocolate-mint business. 😉  This recipe was one that we made in class, which comes from Alice Medrich’s cookbook Pure Dessert, which I have since purchased.  These wafer cookies hooked me instantly, and all I could think of was how good they would be as homemade Oreos or Thin Mints. 🙂

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Are you a Girl Scout cookie fan?  I used to be, but last year I realized that I don’t enjoy them like I used to.  I love homemade cookies so much more than boxed, so I decided to make my own.  Thin Mint cookies have always been my favorite Girl Scout variety, so that was definitely the place to start for me.  I remember when I had a paying job in San Francisco before my kids were born, I would buy Girl Scout cookies downstairs and stash the box in my drawer.  I’d eat 4, then 4 became 6.  I’d put them away, only to eat 4-6 more later in the day.  I’d be through an entire sleeve in one day….bad me!

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These Homemade Thin Mint Cookies are just as addicting, but the chocolate flavor in the wafers and the exterior is much more intense and satisfying, so you don’t need to eat a whole dozen.  Notice that I said you don’t need a whole dozen, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t want to eat a dozen.  My kids dubbed these better than Girl Scout cookies, too, so be warned.

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The thing with these wafer cookies is to make sure that you slice them thinly, or they won’t be crispy.  I have to warn you that these wafer cookies are so good that you may not even get to the chocolate dipping part!  Be strong, and melt that chocolate quick.  I used a combination of Guittard brand extra dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips, but use whatever your preference is.  I also went through an entire bag plus 3/4 cup more of chocolate chips and only got halfway through dipping.  If you know me by now, I’m a little lazy when it comes to stuff like this, so I just stopped dipping and kept the remaining cookies plain.  You can thin out the chocolate by adding a tablespoon or two of shortening or butter, which will help you get a thinner layer of chocolate and make your chocolate go further, but I went for broke.  These have a great layer of chocolate, making these extra chocolatey.  To me, that’s what it’s all about. 🙂

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Homemade Thin Mint Cookies
 
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Homemade Thin Mint Cookies are crisp, chocolatey wafer cookies dipped in minty chocolate. Like the Girl Scout version, they're highly addicting, but a couple of these are sure to satisfy the biggest chocolate cravings.
Serves: 96 wafer cookies
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups (6.75 ounces) all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (2.4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 14 tablespoons (7 ounces) unsalted butter, slightly softened, and cut into large chunks
  • 3 tablespoons milk (the recipe called for whole milk, but I used non-fat)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 24 ounces chocolate chips (such as Guittard)*, for dipping
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon mint extract*
Instructions
  1. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the chunks of butter and pulse several times until evenly distributed. Combine the milk with the vanilla in a small bowl. With the food processor running, add the milk mixture and continue to process until the dough clumps around the sides of the bowl. Pour the dough out into a large bowl and knead a few times until it just comes together. Split the dough in half and form 2 logs, each about 8 inches long and 1½ inches in diameter, and wrap tightly in waxed paper. Chill for at least 1 hour.
  2. Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees. Line (2) baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
  3. With a very sharp knife, score the log at 1" intervals, and cut into 6 thin slices per inch. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet 1" apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. The cookies will puff up, then deflate, and are done 1 minute after they've deflated. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  4. Place a large saute pan filled halfway with water over medium heat. When the water is simmering, turn it down to low. Place the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place in the simmering water -- this is your bain marie or double boiler. Stir until melted and smooth, then add the mint extract, using as much or little according to your preference. Keep the chocolate in the bain marie while you dip, removing from heat, as it will keep the chocolate at dipping consistency. Dip each cookie completely in the chocolate with a fork, gently shaking off the excess, and place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Repeat until all of the cookies are dipped. Let the cookies stand until set, about 1 hour at room temperature, or place in the refrigerator to expedite. Store the cookies in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!
Notes
Using straight chocolate will give you a thicker coating of chocolate. You may thin the chocolate out with a few tablespoons of melted butter or shortening, which will make the amount of chocolate go further, and give you a thinner coating of chocolate if you desire. If you decide to thin out the chocolate, you won't need the entire 24 ounces. You may use dark chocolate, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate, or whatever combination you desire. I used a combination of Guittard extra dark with semi-sweet.

*Add as much or little of the mint extract to the chocolate according to your preference.

Total time above includes 1 hour for the chocolate to set after dipping.

These cookies freeze great, so dip half and freeze the rest for another time!

Recipe adapted from Alice Medrich's cookbook Pure Dessert.

Comments

  1. These sound amazing! I’ve made those Medrich cookies before and I agree, they’re fantastic. Why I didn’t think to dip them in mint chocolate I don’t know, but I’m definitely going to remedy that in the future. What a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
    Elizabeth @ SugarHero.com recently posted…Strawberry Rhubarb PieMy Profile

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    • I used to always freeze mine, too, then make milkshakes, etc. out of them. I have to say, these are good room temp or cold, cuz I’ve tried them both ways! Thanks, Kelly! 🙂

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  13. Marcie…these cookies just sound and look awesome…somehow I have not had the combination of mint and chocolate for ages, don’t ask my why…and this reminded me the time when I just move to US and found out for the first time that mint and chocolate pair so well together…I am saving this recipe!
    Have a wonderful week ahead my dear 😀

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  14. Like many people, I love thin mints. I want to make and eat these so badly now! What a great way to take an American favorite and bring it into the homemade realm. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

    • I bought so many boxes of GS cookies from my friends’ daughters last year only to throw most of them away. As much as I bake, I didn’t need those around, and they just didn’t taste good any more. At least the money went to a good cause! 🙂 I hope you get to enjoy these soon, Cindy, and thank you for the pin! 🙂

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  17. These cookies look fantastic Marcie! I love that you made homemade thin mints – those are one of my favorites! I haven’t had a chance to get any this year but now I’m so excited I can make them at home instead – pinning, thanks for sharing 🙂

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  18. Thin mints are my favorite Girl Scout cookie too! I used to love them so much, but since I’ve been baking more and more, now they aren’t as good as I remembered them being. Homemade is always best! This is a perfect St. Patty’s day recipe, definitely pinning! And thanks for the tip about thinning the chocolate with butter, that’s a good one to know 😉
    Allie | Baking a Moment recently posted…Lemon Greek Yogurt Cupcakes with Cream Cheese FrostingMy Profile

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  23. Marcie, we both had the same problem this year with “no time for any chocolate-mint business.” Life has been insane. With all you are doing with cooking school right now, I’m amazed you were able to post this recipe on time for the holiday! Your Homemade Thin Mint Cookies look infinitely better than any packaged version. I’m glad you went full on chocolate (without adding shortening or butter to thin it). It’s the only way to go! Thanks for sharing, my friend!
    Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen recently posted…Grasshopper Brownies with Crème de Cacao GanacheMy Profile

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    • I had to make the cookies one weekend, ran out of time for dipping, so I popped them in the freezer until the following weekend after I graduated! I worked beautifully, and that’s the only reason why I was able to put up the recipe in time. I’m glad you posted yours anyway, because those brownies can’t be kept under wraps until next year (plus chocolate and mint are good all the time). 🙂 Thanks, Stacey, and have a wonderful evening!

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