I don’t get to see my sister very often. Living 16,000 kms apart has its challenges. One of my fondest memories of our childhood was making chocolate chip cookie dough together and never baking a single cookie! I can recall coming home from school one afternoon when she was supposedly sick, and awaiting me was a bowl of freshly made chocolate chip cookie dough with a spoon. Bliss!
This, as you can probably tell by the photo and title, isn’t a recipe remotely related to chocolate chip cookies. This is simply where it sort of started.
We were chatting on the phone the other day, recalling a visit where we made one too many cocktails—the sweet, creamy type that I’d rarely go near now. Maybe it was that visit that did it, because they certainly didn’t feel as fun the next day.
What was fun the next day was a batch of homemade chocolate mint sandwich cookies that we made that trip. They were so good we had to hide them from the rest of the family. I’m generous, but I’m not silly.
I can’t recall the recipe we used, only that it involved thin, buttery chocolate discs sandwiched with creamy mint ganache and dipped in chocolate. Essentially, a combination that prohibits you from stopping at one—or even two.
These Dark Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies are my version of that fond memory, with a little peppermint coating thrown in to jazz them up. It can easily be left off and you’ll still be rewarded with a very worthwhile cookie.
I also made a batch of these as minis. They’re great for serving to guests after dinner, or simply allowing yourself to have several while feeling slightly less gluttonous than I did back in the days when I could easily inhale several full-size versions.
Whichever size you choose, and whichever topping, these are absolutely worth making. They do require a little more effort than your average scoop-and-bake cookie, but you can do some of the work well ahead. The rolled and cut chocolate cookies can be frozen, ready to bake when you need them. Fill and dip them later and you have a delicate little petit four for a party, dessert table or homemade gift.
The peppermint coating makes them particularly good for the holidays, but really, chocolate and mint need no season.
Happy baking, and I hope you create memories as fond as mine.
Worth Making?
- Yes – if you like your chocolate dark, buttery and not overly sweet.
- Yes – for the white chocolate mint ganache alone. It’s creamy, fresh and just minty enough.
- Yes – when you want a cookie that looks a little special without requiring any particularly fancy decorating skills.
- Skip it – if you want a quick scoop-and-bake cookie. These need rolling, cutting, filling and dipping.
- Skip it – if you’re short on patience. There are a few stages and some chilling time involved.
- Skip it – if you don’t think a really good sandwich cookie is worth a little extra effort. Make brownies instead.
Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
- 225 grams unsalted butter (softened)
- 100 grams caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg yolk
- 260 grams plain flour
- 50 grams dutch cocoa
- 40 grams cornflour
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
White Chocolate Mint Ganache
- 250 grams good-quality white chocolate
- 90 ml thickened cream
- 20 grams butter
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
Cookie Toppings
- 50 grams white or dark chocolate
- 25 grams crushed candy canes or peppermint candies
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together for 2–3 minutes until smooth and creamy. You don’t need to incorporate lots of air as you would for a cake.
- Add the vanilla and egg yolk. Beat in the vanilla, followed by the egg yolk, until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornflour and salt.Make the dough.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until the dough starts to come together. Avoid overmixing, if it looks a little crumbly initially, use your hands to gently bring it together. Wrap in cling film and chill.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion between two sheets of baking paper to approximately 4mm thick.
- Remove the top sheet of baking paper and cut into 5–6cm rounds for regular sandwich cookies, or 3–4cm rounds for minis.
- Transfer to lined baking trays, leaving a little space between each cookie. Re-roll the scraps once and cut again.
- Bake at 170°C fan-forced for 9–11 minutes for regular cookies or 7–9 minutes for minis.
- Cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring carefully to a wire rack. Cool completely before filling with the white chocolate mint ganache.
White Chocolate Mint Ganache
- Place the finely chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just steaming, don’t let it boil.
- Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and leave undisturbed for a few minutes.
- Stir gently from the centre outwards until completely smooth, add the flavouring. Stir in the butter, ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract and a small pinch of salt until glossy and combined. Chill
- Refrigerate for 30–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to pipe or spread. Don’t let it become completely firm.
Assemble Cookies
- Match the cookies. Pair the cooled cookies by size and shape so the sandwiches sit neatly together.
- Spread the white chocolate mint ganache over the flat side of one cookie, leaving a small border around the edge. Top with a second cookie and press gently until the filling reaches almost to the edge.
- Place the assembled cookies in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes to firm the ganache before dipping.
- Melt the dark chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl over simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave. Dip half of each sandwich cookie into the chocolate, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl.
- Add the peppermint coating. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the dipped portion with finely crushed peppermint candy/candy canes.
- I’d keep this fairly restrained—the cookie already has mint in the ganache and you don’t want the peppermint crunch to overwhelm the dark chocolate.
- Place on a baking-paper-lined tray and leave until the chocolate has completely set. For a faster set, refrigerate for around 10 minutes.
Make it your own way
- More mint: Increase the peppermint extract slightly, but go carefully—it can take over quickly.
- Fresh mint: Infuse the cream with fresh mint before making the ganache for a softer, more natural mint flavour.
- No mint: Leave it out entirely for a dark chocolate and white chocolate sandwich cookie.
- Change the filling: Use dark or milk chocolate ganache if white chocolate isn’t your thing.
- Keep it simple: Skip the chocolate dip. They’re still very good without it.
- Finish them: Drizzle with chocolate instead of dipping for an easier finish. If you don’t have peppermint candies or candy canes, leave off for a cleaner finish.
