chocolate almond cookies

Today I am in Medford, Oregon. I'm in town for the Miss Rogue Valley Pageant that my little sister is in! Couldn't be more proud! My talented and beautiful younger sister has more heart than most people I know, and weather she gets that crown or not I'll be thrilled at having a sister with the courage and determination to do the things she wants to. (I love you!)

Because this is her time to shine she requested some grasshopper (thin mint) ice cream from me. who am I to say no? So, I set out to make some thin mint cookies. I have to take an issue with many of the recipes on the internet. Thin mints are made with vegetable oil, NOT butter. Peppermint oil not mint extract! And for that matter the chocolate glazes I saw...well....I was not impressed. I took a box of thin mint cookies and compared the ingredients to the recipes other food bloggers have put online, and decided this just wouldn't do.

The problem is, I'm in a small town in Oregon, and I don't know my way around to save my life, and even if I did, I don't have a car. My sweet little teenage sisters would OF COURSE be more than happy to take me to any store I like if it means cookies, but I have no idea where to look. I hear there is a Whole Foods on Mystic Valley Parkway, but really, you have about as much clue as I do where that is!

So, pictured below, you see on the left the "thin mint" cookies as they came out of a different food bloggers recipe, and my adapted "thin almonds." The glaze really just was awful on the thin mints. They were promptly thrown out. I love my sisters too much to disappointment them like that.

When I get back home, and have more time to focus I will continue making a true knock off of the thin mint. For now, I need to focus on a few other things, two sisters to be exact! And all the fun of pageantry in the making. (Personally I'm hoping we make a run up to Portland for Voo Doo Donuts!)

Have a lovely weekend! My best from Medford and enjoy the Chocolate Almond Cookies!!

Chocolate Almond Cookies

½ cup unsalted butter

1cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon salt (not kosher)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Cream butter until fluffy, gradually add powdered sugar, scraping down the bowl a couple of times. Add almond extract, cocoa, and salt, mixing until thoroughly combined. Add the flour and mix until the dough is crumbly and then kneed into a ball. Divide the dough in two.

Roll out each portion between parchment paper to a thickness of about 5 mm. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30mins.

Once chilled, peel off top layer of parchment. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or a sharp knife. Arrange shapes on parchment lined baking sheets and refrigerate for another 30mins to an hour.

Re-roll scraps and follow the above process until all scraps are used up.

Preheat oven to 350.

Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Proceed to make the glaze

In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.

Spread warm glaze over top of cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.

Dredge the cookie in the melted chocolate.  Lift the cookie out with the fork and bang the fork on the side of the pan to drain any extra chocolate off the cookie.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, and repeat for the rest of the cookies. Place the cookies in the refrigerator or freezer to set.