A Southern Grace: it's all grandma's fault

December 3, 2009

it's all grandma's fault

Yum

The first time I can remember eating an Andes mint was at Christmas around 10 or 15 years ago. My grandma had gotten boxes of them for each of us, and I quickly ate my entire box and never looked back.


The box o' Andes became something of a holiday tradition for Grandma and she made them available every year. Sometimes they were special flavors (I fondly recall a toffee crunch version), but they were usually the classic mint. My love for them has never wavered.

What's your point, Grace? Get on with it already! I'll bet you've seen and probably used the creme de menthe baking chips, but did you know there was a batch of peppermint crunch baking chips as well? I had no idea until I found them in our cabinet at home--hooray for happy surprises, right? They were absolutely made for cookies, so cookies were made.


Baked correctly, the end result is a cookie that's crispy along the outer rim but chewy toward the middle--I attribute this amazing phenomenon to the brown-to-white sugar ratio. Incidentally, in my cabinets, both are (and always have been and probably always will be) the Domino Sugar brand. I must pause to thank Domino for sending me a gift card to use toward the purchase of their terrific products and also direct you to their website, where you'll find lots of great gift and recipe ideas for the holidays. Expect to see more to come in the near future.

The mint baking chips provide a smooth but subtle mint flavor (and a lovely smattering of pink) and the chocolate chips are plentiful enough to satisfy even the most ardent chocolate-lover. There's nothing cakelike about these discs, so don't expect it.


Best of all? I can get my Andes fix without raiding Grandma's stash.

Peppermint Crunch Chunkies
(based on this recipe)(these'd perfect for a cookie swap, no?)

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup Domino® dark brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup Domino® granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup Andes® Peppermint Crunch baking chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300° F.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add in the baking soda, salt, and then flour; mix completely. Stir in the oats, Andes® Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips, and chocolate chips.
Scoop out round balls about 2 tablespoons in size for large cookies or 1 tablespoon for small cookies. Place on cookie sheets two inches apart.
Bake for 20 minutes for large cookies or 12-15 minutes for small cookies, taking care not to over-bake.

64 comments:

Kate at Serendipity said...

Oh, no. These look too good. I love chocolate and peppermint. And cookies. Thanks for this recipe!

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Those sound really good. It is a pity we don't have such a lovely selction of baking chips over here. You are lucky to get chocolate chips and that is about it!

Penny said...

You are right Grace. These are perfect for a cookie swap which I will be attending this month. Thanks for a great recipe.

lisa is cooking said...

The mix of peppermint and semi-sweet chips sounds fantastic! Wish I could grab a couple of these off the screen this morning.

Dolce said...

They sound like a very nice holiday chocolate chip cookie recipe!
I did not grow up on Andes but on After Eight. Kind of the same, though, with dark chocolate... My father was (and still is to this day) a huge fan!

Lyndas recipe box said...

I haven't seen the Andes chips for baking, but I'll be looking for them now...These sound perfectly yummy for my goody plates I like to give at Christmas! If they make it there, of course, hehe. :)

Michele said...

Those cookies look great! I make a version with peppermint bark! Sooo good!

eatme_delicious said...

Mmmm these look awesome. I'll have to keep an eye out for the peppermint crunch baking chips! Re: your comment on my blog, which made me laugh - I didn't even think about sewage + white fluffy bread = gross. I'm just so used to thinking about sewage now from my courses!

Cafe Fashionista said...

I'm obsessed with Andes Mints! As a child I used to swipe handfuls of them from the jar at Olive Garden after every meal - I think I looked more forward to those sweets than to the large plates of spaghetti! I need to make these immediately! :)

kat said...

Oh what a great idea for a Christmas cookie!

LilSis said...

That's my kind of cookie; crispy around the edges and chewy in the middle! I love the pink peaking through.

Anonymous said...

I must make these cookies asap! I love the mint & chocolate combo, this sounds like a perfect cookie to me!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

I'm gonna be on the lookout for some of those Andes peppermint crunch baking chips now.
~ingrid

Melanie said...

I've never tried those magic little baking morsels but it looks like I'll have to. Your cookies look so, so good.

Mimi said...

I can't wait to make these. Mr. Mimi is all about peppermint. On our second date he ordered a peppermint ice cream and caramel sauce sundae. What a combo! Something about being allergic to chocolate. Luckily he has since over come his allergy!
Mimi

Leslie said...

ohhh yum..I love Andes mints in cookies!!

megan said...

My grandma always has andes mints in her cupboard too! Every time I go over to visit, she makes sure I have one. :) These cookies look great!

pam said...

Oh these sound so good. I also adore all things mint.

Hungry Dog said...

These sound delightful. I am an Andes mint FIEND.

Gloria Baker said...

Grace this look absolutely tempting! thanks by a nice recipe! gloria

Nutmeg Nanny said...

Oh my goodness peppermint crunch! That sounds amazing. Now I need to find some of these!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Those cookies looks wonderful! So great!

Cheers,

Rosa

Albany Jane said...

'Nother Domino lover over here. It was just this year (or within a year... something like that) when I took a whiff of the sugar and from then on... no turning back. I think it also helps that there's only like a 10 cent difference per bag at the grocery store, too.

And hooray for stuff in cookies! I always like finding new things to stuff in dough!

George Gaston said...

Grace, as a chocolate-mint addict, it is hard to pass up Andes® Mints. I have used them in brownies, but never seen the Peppermint Crunch. I am definitely going to keep an eye for them, because these cookies are amazing. Thanks

Faith said...

Oh my. I'm a HUGE Andes fan myself so these look like heaven to me. I'll be on the lookout for the peppermint crunch baking chips!

vanillasugarblog said...

I used to eat those as a kid too by the boxful. I was a horrible sugar-addict as a kid. I still am, but I now wash it down with Coke. LOL
Of course we will not have those fabulous crunch-chips around here. We are lucky to have cable.

Pam said...

Oh Grace. My mint/chocolate loving daughter and husband would really, REALLY dig these cookies.

Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella said...

I must try and find these Andes one day! Anything that inspires a cookie cake has got to be good :)

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Peppermint? I'm in! These look wonderful. I wouldn't want to take them to a cookie exchange, though. Greedy me would want them all to stay home and keep me company. Ok, maybe I'd share one or two, but that's all!

Jennifer said...

Those look yummy as heck, I adore those mints too!

♥peachkins♥ said...

I love andes mint! I'm sure I'm gonna super love♥ this!

Kerstin said...

I love Andes too! And just discovered their baking mints several months ago :) Your cookies look awesome!

Lisa-Marie said...

I will be making these for some Christmas hampers!

Emily said...

I love Andes Mints! I think I feel exactly the same about them as you do. We used to get them in our stocking from Santy Claus.

These cookies look scrumptious!

Barbara said...

Agreed, Grace. I love the chocolate/mint combination. Your cookies hit the spot!
(I left you a surprise on my blog!)

Lindsey@pickyeatings said...

Maybe we had the same grandparents. Because mine also always had Andes mints, and I have to refrain from buying them when I see them near the checkout at the grocery store. So I might have to check these baking mints out...

MrsLavendula said...

beautiful photos as usual! those look so good im craving for mint cookies right now!!

Daniel B. said...

For me, a cookie just couldn't fulfill an Andes craving. Part of the specialness of the candy is clearly its shiny wrapper.

The wrapper just comes off so effortlessly. It's like unwrapping some magical present that wants to be opened.

TKW said...

You're tempting me to try this recipe...

Deborah said...

I am a peppermint lover, and these look and sound fantastic!

Mona said...

Those look scrumptious! I am happy to see that there is more brown sugar than white sugar in these. <3 brown sugar!

Lori said...

I most emphatically buy Domino. For some reason the sweetness is right on. I also trust their brown sugar and confectioners. I have tried other brands and it was noticably different. Do I sound like a commercial. There are a few brands out there that I simply will not go generic on- this is one.

Now your cookies look absolutely amazing. I could go for one with my girls right now as we just finished decorating for Christmas.

Anonymous said...

So funny! I too always found Andes on my grandma's front cabinent, where she also had her little fm radio playing all day! And twenty some years later ... there's a box in my desk drawer right now! Thanks for bringing up a great memory!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

Oh my what a treat. I'm sure everyone here would enjoy.

Bunny said...

What a great addition to these cookies. I actually love crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle, my absolute favorite kind of cookie!

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

These are right up my alley. What a fabulous recipe!

Jason said...

Awesome recipe! I guess it is all grandma's fault!

pigpigscorner said...

great combo!

Anonymous said...

Mmmm... I love Andes - and these cookies look amazing!!

Teanna said...

WOW! OK. Would you mind terribly if I adapted this recipe for a cookie thing I am catering thing I am doing? These are absolutely perfect and I'd love to do a chocolate version of these!

Marjie said...

I buy 11 boxes of Andes mints every Christmas, and put one in each stocking. Truth be told, I buy an extra box to get me through to Christmas.

shaz said...

I've never met an Andes mint, but they sure sound exceptional especially if they work so well in cookie form! Looks like you and your grandma have a sweet tooth in common :)

tiffany @ the garden apartment said...

Love the chewy on the inside cookies-I crave them more than any other cookie texture. These look perfect for the holidays, and no I did not know there was a Peppermint crunch baking chip. Thanks for enlightening me!

pierre said...

Hello this is Pierre in France
i love these cookies and the photo is uperbe and if you like french creative food coem and visit my blog !!!
Cheers from Paris

dyosa said...

They look absolutely superb! Thanks for sharing the recipe. :D

Jeff said...

Love dishes that remind me of relatives. I have been on a kick making my grandma's old recipes too.

Laura said...

No getting on with it! I love grandma stories!

I love mint too and I also LOVE those peppermint crunches. You must try them in cocoa based brownies.

Re: Flashforward... no not bored exactly, I enjoy it when it's on, but I have noticed if I don't watch it for a while it has trouble holding my attention span. Are you watching Friday Night Lights now or do you not have DirecTv? Warn me so I don't say anything! :)

I am loving, of all things, The Good Wife right now. (!)

kimberleyblue said...

yumyumyum! i still haven't baked with andes mints, though i keep seeing such delicious-looking things like this pop up.

they must be especially great straight out of the oven...mmm.

Unknown said...

ok wait...so you have some kind of andes fairy that randomly drops stuff off in your cupboard? Not FAIR!!! YUM!!!

Unknown said...

Ooh, those look amazing!

And, I'm with Danielle...when is someone going to magically leave me baking goodies in my cupboard? I'd like to file a grievance.

Lisa said...

I happen to have some of those lovely chips in my cabinet too. They've been there a while. Looks like this is what they have been waiting for!

Tabitha Blue said...

OMG!!! I totally missed this one!! How could I ever. My husband loves mint and chocolate, so this just may HAVE to get baked in our house. :)

Molly's Menu said...

A very timely recipe! I am a huge fan of all things peppermint this time of year, and these would make a perfect base for a peppermint ice cream sandwich.

www.dhaleb.com said...

You gotta love Grandmas for their special cookies! This looks stellar! It's time for my peppermint crunch scavenger hunt!