Grasshopper Cookies ~Recipe 3Fer

I have two favorite recipes that I was inspired to experiment with this Holiday Season
I have our tried and true everybody loves em Butter Mints & delicious and versatile Homemade Chocolate Wafer Cookies.

So I put them together, kind of a "your peanut butter's in my chocolate" kind of thing :)

The outcome is a Homemade Grasshopper Cookie
You marry these two recipes as pictured
I suggest making both parts ahead of time and letting the kids put them together while you finish another cooking project.

(Make Cookies First) and cool.

Flatten out enough butter mint, for the number of cookies you are making, to the right size. Let them set a while so they can harden a little bit.

Melt a little dark chocolate chips to stick them together on both sides.

For the vibrant Grasshopper Green color in the mints, use green color then add yellow.
It just brightens things up a little like a few drops of Sunshine :)


Here are the two base recipes to get you started

Homemade Chocolate Wafer Cookies

These are good alone, with coffee, and crushed to make cheesecake crusts

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (6.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2.4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (see Note)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of food processor and pulse several times to mix thoroughly. Cut the butter into about 12 chunks and add them to the bowl. Pulse several times. Combine the milk and vanilla in a small cup. With the processor running, add the milk mixture and continue to process until the mixture clumps around the blade or the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a large bowl or a cutting board and knead a few times to make sure it is evenly blended.
Form the dough into a log about 14 inches long and 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in wax paper or foil and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour, or until needed.
Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the log of dough into slices a scant 1/4-inch thick (I went thinner, closer to 1/8 of inch. If you’re trying to emulate the store-bought wafers, slice as thin as you can, and watch the baking time carefully, as it might be less.) and place them one inch apart on the lined sheets (cookies will spread). Bake, rotating the baking sheet from top to bottom and back to front about halfway through baking, for a total of 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies will puff up and deflate; they are done about 1 1/2 minutes after they deflate.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on racks, or slide the parchment onto racks to cool completely. These cookies may be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks or be frozen for up to two months.

Makes 50 to 60 1 3/4-inch wafers. However, I cut my thinner than suggested and yielded more.

Note: These cookies should crisp as they cool. If they don’t, you’re not baking them long enough, in which case, return them to the oven to reheat and bake a little longer, then cool again.


Now for an old tyme favorite in my family

Butter Mints

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1/2 tsp. salt
5 drops of peppermint
2 Tbsp white corn syrup
1 box 10 X confectioners sugar
coloring of choice

Directions:
Cream Butter, Syrup, & Salt. Mix well.
Add Sugar & mix well (mixture will look crumby like sand)
Add peppermint & color last & mix well. It will still look crumby but be coming together a little)
When everything is well distributed it is best to knead a little with your hand. The heat from your hand will make the candy smooth in texture and color.
Roll a small daub in palm & press down with thumb. (or roll into small diameter logs roll in waxed paper and refrigerate) Then cut into individual candies.
Makes lots of Holiday Candy

This is one of our Winter holiday favorites with adults and children alike. It is also much fun to do with kids.

Coming up is Old Fashioned Tea Cake Cookies.