Triple Chocolate Mint Swig Cookies

The Swig obsession continues.
If you are saying "What Swig obsession?" Go back and read this post before you proceed any further. There are four Swig variations I've come up with here on ABK: Lemon Lime Sprig Cookie,  Chocolate Swagg Cookie , Coconut Cream Swig, and the updated Original (Almost) Swig Cookie (volume 2).  And now, the Triple Chocolate Mint Swig.
I think the world is divided into mint and non-mint lovers. Or maybe it's chocolate and lemon lovers??  Whatever the case, I decided it was my duty to come up with a Swig cookie for mint lovers.

Since I am not a huge mint fan, I turned to one of the three sources of mint I occasionally crave: Andes Mints, Jr. Mints and the Girls Scout Thin Mint cookie. I wanted to melt a thin layer of mint and chocolate on top of the baked cookie, and decided on the Andes Mint because it seemed like the best option for my Triple Chocolate Mint Swig Cookie. The first time I put this cookie together, I knew it was going to make a chocolate and mint lover a very happy person!
Here's the end result: dark chocolate cookie with semi sweet chocolate chips, topped with a melted Andes Mint, and finished off with a dark chocolate frosting.
This cookie has turned me into a mint lover.

Triple Chocolate Mint Swig Cookies
A Bountiful Kitchen

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1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening, (butter flavor is best)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

for shaping cookies:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
cooking spray
*glass with flat bottom, see notes below

2- 4.6 oz packages Andes Mints

Preheat oven to 350 or 325 on convection setting.
Cream butter, shortening and sugar together.
Add sour cream and vanilla. Mix. Add the cocoa and mix again until smooth. The mixture should be creamy, with no specks of white. Turn the mixer off.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips all at once. Mix just until all of the flour disappears, on the lowest setting. This should take about 10-15 seconds.
Using a 1 3/4 inch to 2 inch scoop, place the dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Lightly spray the bottom of a glass with cooking spray. First press the glass against a cookie, then dip the bottom of glass in sugar to flatten cookie a bit. Continue dipping the bottom of the glass into the sugar after flattening each cookie.
After all of the cookies are flattened a bit, go back and lightly sprinkle sugar on top of each cookie.
Bake for about 8 minutes at 325 convection, or about 10 minutes at 350.
The cookies should be barely firm on top. The sugar sprinkled on top will form a light crust.  Do not over bake! While cookies are baking, unwrap the mints and set aside.

Remove the cookies from the oven. If the cookie has spread and is not as round as you would like, use a small spatula and push the edges back into a circle shape while still warm. Place two mints on top of each cookie. The mint will melt a bit.  After about 2-3 minutes, use a butter knife to evenly spread the melted mint on top of the cookie.
Let the cookies cool completely on cookie sheet. If you want to speed up the process of cooling the cookies and mints, place in refrigerator or freezer. Frost when the mint has set up on top of the cookies. After frosting, chop a few of the leftover mints and garnish the top of the frosted cookie.
Yield about 18-20 large cookies or 30-32 small to medium cookies.

Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 tablespoon sour cream
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa, unsweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
milk to thin, about 2-3 tablespoons

Cream butter, sour cream and powdered sugar. Add cocoa and vanilla, beat until smooth. Thin frosting with milk a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.

Tips:
-To achieve an edge on the cookie, or "lip" * :
1. Generously fill the cookie scoop, extra dough will help form an outer edge on the cookie.
2. Choose a glass with a flat bottom. Look at the bottom of the glass, if the bottom is not flat, the dough will not press out properly.
3. I use a 2 1/4 inch glass bottom.
4. Flatten the cookie ball with the bottom of the glass, twisting the glass gently as you flatten the dough ball. The dough should no longer be mounded. The cookie should be about 1/4 inch thick after flattening with glass.
-I use Dutch Process Cocoa, which I highly recommend for this cookie.
-This cookie will keep well refrigerated for a few days. Frost after cool, refrigerate in a single layer until the frosting is set, then stack in layers between parchment or wax paper, cover tightly.
-Be very careful to not over bake this cookie. It will be slightly firm to the touch when done. Because the cookie is so dark in color, it cannot be judged by color when it is finished baking.

-You may also skip the frosting step and simply let the mint melt on top of the baked cookie. Spread around a bit. The cookie will look like the second photo from the top of the post. 

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Billion Dollar Bars aka Homemade Candy Bars

Do you Pinterest?
Apparently everyone is Pinning these days.
Last week, Bonnie Oscarson was named the new General Young Women President of the LDS (Mormon) church. The lead line of a news story I read about Sister Oscarson stated that she is on Pinterest. Of course,  people weighed in on her activity online. Some of the comments stated were negative. Others positive. My thought?
Wow, she's one of us :)
Here's a recipe I found recently and Pinned. If you are a peanutbutterandchocolate kind of gal, you have to make this.
R I G H T  N O W .

Billion Dollar Bars

Twirl and Taste

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Bottom Chocolate Layer:

1 cup milk chocolate chips (or half semi-sweet)
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup peanut butter
Melt milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a pan over low heat; stirring constantly. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13″ baking pan lightly coated with nonstick spray or lined with plastic wrap which is long enough to drape over sides of the pan. Spread mixture and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Nougat Layer

4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups marshmallow creme
1/3 cup peanut butter
1-1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts (optional)
Melt butter over medium heat in pan; add sugars and evaporated milk; bring to a boil, and cook additional 5 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and add marshmallow creme and peanut butter. Pour over the bottom layer and gently spread mixture. If you use peanuts, scatter across the top. Place in the refrigerator for 15 - 30 minutes.

Caramel Layer

1 (14-ounce package) caramel candy
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
Place the unwrapped caramel candy, butter, and cream in a medium saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until the mixture has completely melted and is smooth. Pour in the pan and quickly spread over nougat layer. Place in the refrigerator for 15 - 30 minutes.

Top Chocolate Layer

1 cup milk chocolate chips (or half semi-sweet)
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

chopped almonds
Melt milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter in a pan over low heat, stirring consistently. Pour over the caramel layer and spread. 

Sprinkle chopped nuts over top of chocolate while still soft. 

Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares. These are very rich, cut into small squares. If eating right away, place on platter and serve. If the bars start to get too soft, place in refrigerator to firm up a bit. 

Store in an air-tight container in refrigerator.

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Gran Lauders Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Balls. Little round one bite peanut-butter-nutty-chocolate wonders. I first posted this recipe here.

3 reasons why you should try PB Balls:

1. They're simple and require no cooking. Only a microwave or stove top to melt the chocolate.

2. More calories than you would ever want to count. This is the sign of a great Christmas cookie/candy.

3. Round. Every cookie platter needs a ball of some sort.

In years where I skipped all other baking ( yes there were one or two) aka "The Lost Years" (when I had Brooke and Stephen in diapers and high chairs at the same time) this was the one treat that still made the cut. My kids love them. Grant loves them. We make batches and place in refridge or freezer for -who know what? They keep FOREVER. Sometimes a container will get buried in the back of the freezer, and we'll discover it long after the decor has been put away. It's like finding a $20 in your coat pocket. Don't you love that?

Gran Lauder's Peanut Butter Balls

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2 cups Chunky Peanut Butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar
12 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 lbs pecans or walnuts, toasted
2-3 lbs dipping chocolate

Mix the softened butter and peanut butter until blended and smooth. You can do this in a food processor, or with a hand held or stand mixer. Add powdered sugar, mix until the peanut butter mixture is dry enough to roll into balls without sticking.
You may need to add more powdered sugar. Add a little at a time. These should be a little dryer than the consistency of chocolate chip cookies. If the mixture is too dry, add a little milk.
Roll into balls about 1" in diameter. Place on a cookie sheet, when the cookie sheet is full, place in the freezer or refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool, coarsely chop half of the nuts by hand on a cutting board. Place in a 9x13 pan. Put the rest of the nuts into a food processor or blender and chop fine. Mix with other hand chopped nuts. Set aside.

Place the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave or on the stove in a double boiler. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. (It burns really fast, trust me, I'm an expert at burning chocolate) . In the microwave, melt at 30 second to one minute intervals. Remove and stir. Cook just until chocolate is melted.

To assemble:

Remove pb balls from refrigerator.

Dip into melted chocolate, then roll into nuts.

Place back on another cookie sheet or pan, and refrigerate.

After they chocolate is set, remove and store in Tupperware, Ziplocks bags or other covered container. These keep well for a long time in the refrigerator. Or in the freezer.

As long as your husband doesn't see them :)

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Chocolate Sandwich Candy Cane Cookies

The snow is finally melting, spring is coming...WAIT, it's only December??

This was the view out our back door, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

The snow started a little early this year, and came in a big sha-bang. Cold weather and snow or rain always compels me to bake. Let's be honest, I'm always compelled to bake. Even when it's 106 degrees. Isn't this why we have AC???

Christmas time sends me in to a bit of a baking frenzy. I used to bake INSANE amounts of treats between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I've toned that down over the years. Now, I mostly bake for our family. Things we love. Trying a few new recipes mixed with tried and true favorites makes us all happy. For the next few days, I'll post a mixture of both.

This recipe is a new one- to me. I loved the way the pink frosting rolled in candy canes looked against the dark chocolate cookies. Wouldn't these look great in a cello bag with a pretty ribbon? Yum.

This photo

makes me

smile.

The cookie

on the right

looks like

it has been banished

from the

leaning tower

of cookies.

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Bon Appétit December 2005

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Yield: Makes about 18-30 sandwich cookies,
depending on size of cookie scoop

Cookies
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk (if needed)*

Filling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract ( I used about 1/4 tsp)
2 drops (or more) red food coloring

1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)

For cookies:
Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Add milk if needed to make dough soft.
Refrigerate dough 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not over bake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of 1 cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.
Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling). Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.

Tips:

-*Our climate is really dry, so I needed to add the 2 tablespoons of milk to make the dough pliable. After reading reviews on the Epicurious site, other readers had the same problem.

I'm sure water would also work as an acceptable alternative.

-The cookies are very sweet and rich, so I used a 1" cookie scoop and made small cookies.

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Rocky Road Fudge

A long, long time ago, I crowned myself the Queen of Botching Candy.

Grant's Grandmother Martin made caramel every year. It was so delicious. Back in the old days :) on the eve of Thanksgiving, we headed up to Pocatello,ID and stay at Grandma's house. She always had dinner ready for us when we arrived. After dinner we watched a little TV with her husband Bertil, and then went to bed early, because there wasn't much to do in Pocatello on a Wednesday night. Grandma would get up early, get the turkey in the oven and start preparing breakfast for us. It was always biscuits, ham, and what my kids to this day call "Grandma Martin Eggs". She placed the eggs in a pan with butter, fried them just until they started to set up, then pour water around the eggs and place a lid on top, and steam the egg for about a minute. Kind of a fake poaching? Still a fave in our home. Oh - and always some of her home made chokecherry jam to go with the biscuits. So yummy. Grant said the big dinner the night before and the big breakfast were necessities in order to prepare and stretch our stomachs for the feast on Thurs afternoon. Um, he would know, since his family did this for all of their growing up years. I always thought it was better to eat LESS before a big meal, so you would actually be hungry when the big meal was served? Anyway. Thanksgiving dinner was served no later than 1 PM. We would eat, then usually get packed up for the drive back home with lots of leftovers and always some yummy home made caramels.

One year, I asked Grandma for the recipe, and she obliged. Two handwritten 3x5 recipe cards letter, I had the treasured recipe in hand. It's really quite simple she said. And here are the key words "It just takes some time, and you have to be patient." Well, that should have been my first clue that this recipe and I were never going to make a connection.

One day before Christmas, I gathered all of the ingredients, and started cooking in our little turquoise kitchen. When I read the recipe it said, "Cook until candy forms a HARD BALL. "Well, how in the world (at 20 years old) was I suppose to know that didn't mean literally a HARD BALL would form in the pan?? I have a funny picture Grant took of me, holding up a SHEET of caramel. Over the course of maybe a dozen (or more) tries, I finally gave up on making caramels. It's V chocolate for me if I want yummy caramel -They make the most delish caramels ever. I know these things, trust me.

So, the point? I am not a candy maker. I think Grandma Martin was right, you have to be patient, which I am not. The planets have to be aligned just right when you make candy. The temp and humidity just right. The thermometer has to work. You have to have a thermometer. Yes, you do. And you have to be patient. Did I already mention that?

I asked the beautiful and talented Amy Morrison to make some treats for a teacher lunch the other day at our high school. She came with this big platter of Rocky Road candy. When I asked her for the recipe, she laughed and said it was the easiest treat to make. She was right. Finally a candy I could conquer! Three ingredients. No cooking. No thermometer. Hooray. Ten minutes, and it's setting up.

I love that Grandma Martin went to all of the work to make those caramels, prepare a Thanksgiving feast and perform countless other labors of love for us year after year. She passed away a few years back, and I still remember those holidays with her and the love she put into cooking for her family. Her birthday is coming up this week, on the 25th . Grant's dad always said it was fitting that she shared a birthday with the Savior.

I think he was right.

Amy's Rocky Road Fudge

Amy Morrison

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1 lb dipping chocolate

1 bag large marshmallows, cut in half

2 cups walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

butter for greasing pan

Generously butter bottom and sides of a 9 x 9 or 9 x 13 pan.

Cut or tear marshmallows in half and place in large bowl. Melt dipping chocolate in bowl in microwave or double boiler, taking care to not overheat. Mix with spoon until all chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside. Place nuts in large bowl with marshmallows. Pour chocolate over marshmallow and nuts. Mix gently. Pour ingredients into greased pan. Place in refrigerator for quick set. Remove from refrigerator and cut into large chunks.

Tips:

-Amy just mixes this in the pan, instead of using a bowl. I like the bowl method, because I was able to mix the ingredients a little easier.

-I use Mrs. Cavanaugh's chocolate, a local company located in Bountiful, Utah. They sell 1 lb. bags of dipping chocolate in dark, light and white.

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UTE Caramel Confession Corn

About a month ago, we came home one night and this was sitting on our front porch.

And we had a message on our phone from the W's. A (sweet) confession, for a little prank they pulled on us, and our friends, the B's a few years back.

In case you forgot we are kind of into the UTES. And our friends the B's, are into BYU. One morning we woke up and our lawn was covered in painted blue block Y's, BYU footballs, BYU signs etc. The B's got the same treatment, only their lawn was covered in red U's, UTE footballs, UTE signs etc. We thought the B's pulled a fast one on us, until we found out about their lawn. Over the years, accusations were made and highly sensitive info was leaked, but we were never really sure who the culprit was until the popcorn confession.

Oh - the popcorn. Delish. Caramely, buttery, sticky, sweet. Perfect Halloween treat. Seriously easy and bad for you.

U're gonna love it.

Ute Caramel Confession Corn

4 quarts popcorn, popped (or two bags of microwaved popcorn)

Caramel :

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lite Karo syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt---- add only if you are using unsalted popcorn

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix caramel ingredients in a medium microwave proof bowl. Place in microwave 1 1/2 minutes on high. Remove and stir. Microwave 1 1/2 minute more. Remove from microwave and add 1 teaspoon baking soda, stir. Pour over popcorn in large bowl, toss caramel and popcorn until popcorn is coated.

Tips:

-I cooked this on the stove instead of the microwave. Just melted the butter, then added everything else (except soda) and boiled for 2-3 minutes. Then added soda and tossed with popcorn.

-After following directions you may spread the mixture on two greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Stir at 5 minutes. This made a yummy crunchy caramel corn.

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Erma's Chex Mix treat

Last week our sweet, young, friend and neighbor Megan passed away after a tragic skiing accident. She was pure and kind, and radiated the Light of Christ. At her funeral yesterday (which her parents referred to as her graduation) we honored her short and very sweet 15 years on this earth. She was bright, hard working, thoughtful and beautiful. As a junior at Bountiful High, she scored a 34 on her ACT, and had already been accepted to BYU for the fall of 2009. She loved her family and was a peacemaker. I have thought a lot about the Lord's will and why Megan was taken at such a young age... During the same week, Diane (my sis-in-law, married to Brett, Grant's brother)and 4 of her children were driving to St George- pulling a trailer on a stretch of freeway at night, and got into an accident with a semi. Thankfully, they miraculously survived, and walked a way without a scratch. Diane is a lot like Megan- kind, thoughtful, and a peacemaker. Her testimony of Jesus Christ is evident in the way she lives her life each day. A modern day Pollyanna, she is an optomistic and loving mother of 6 children, one funny Pug (Sam) and married to Brett . I am certain Diane inherited a lot of her wonderful qualities from her sweet mother, Erma, who used to make this treat for her kids and grandkids. Erma turned 80 in December.

One last note-While we were visiting Megan's family, her mom commented how upset Megan would be that she wasn't able to enjoy all of the yummy treats her neighbors and friends brought by! In honor of the Megans we know and love, make something yummy, and call someone you love.

Erma's Chex Mix Treat

3 cubes of butter - 1 1/2 cups (no margarine)

2 cups sugar

2 cups light Karo Syrup

Place all ingredients into a heavy sauce pan. Bring to boil for 3-5 minutes.

1 large box of Golden Grahams Cereal

1 large box of Corn Chex ( I use 1 & 1/2 boxes)

1/4 package coconut (optional)

1 package sliced almonds (optional)

Mix all dry cereal, nuts and coconut in large bowl. Pour cooked butter mixture over cereal. Gently mix and pour onto 3-4 lightly greased jelly roll pans. When completely cooled, place in cellophane bags to give away, or put into serving bowls.

Tips:

-I use 1 1/2 boxes of Chex, because I like it when the mixture is not super sticky. I think cooking the butter-sugar mixture a bit longer than 3 minutes also helps with this.

-After the mixture cool completely, you can add ingredients like candy corn for Halloween, or colored M & M's for Christmas or Valentines Day. We tried chocolate chips once, not a good idea.

-You can also substitute pecans or our favorite, whole cashews for the sliced almonds.

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Grandma Lauder's Peanut Butter Balls

The elves, busy working-

Rolling....

And dipping...

Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow. Bake, bake, bake. The past few days have been PERFECT days for baking and making treats. We have made sugar cookies, Raspberry Shortbread cookies, scones, still mixing up batches of pecan shortbread, chocolate peppermint cookies and Peanut Butter Balls. These are a Foster Fam Favorite. I was first introduced to these lovely little treats in 1982. My Mom in law-Doreen and Sis in law- Sheri volunteered to make them along with lots of other treats for our wedding. So for months, we would get together on Thursday nights, and roll Peanut Butter Balls, freeze them, and watch "Knots Landing" ( silly night soap spin off of "Dallas") . The pbb recipe came from Doreen's mother Eveline Lauder. Grandmother Lauder passed away a few years back, but her legacy lives on. She was an impeccable dresser. She worked at Beaton's Clothing store for years in Canada and the U.S. She took hours to get ready, and never left the house in sweats, or anything casual. She loved being a woman! One time I remember when she had an early flight to take after a family gathering, instead of going to bed, she stayed up and got ready- dressed, makeup on, and hair fixed, then just sat up on the sofa, and waited until it was time to go to the airport! She was a generous, loving and kind woman. She made buckets of peanut butter balls (and about 10 other types of cookies) every Christmas, and shared them with friends and family. My kids still love these treats, and ask for them every Christmas. Thanks Grandma. We love you.

Grandma Lauder's Peanut Butter Balls

print recipe

2 cups Chunky Peanut Butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar
12 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 lbs pecans or walnuts, toasted
2-3 lbs dipping chocolate

Mix the softened butter and peanut butter until blended and smooth. You can do this in a food processor, or with a hand held or stand mixer. Add powdered sugar, mix until the peanut butter mixture is dry enough to roll into balls without sticking.
You may need to add more powdered sugar. Add a little at a time. These should be a little dryer than the consistency of chocolate chip cookies. If the mixture is too dry, add a little milk.
Roll into balls about 1" in diameter. Place on a cookie sheet, when the cookie sheet is full, place in the freezer or refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool, coarsely chop half of the nuts by hand on a cutting board. Place in a 9x13 pan. Put the rest of the nuts into a food processor or blender and chop fine. Mix with other hand chopped nuts. Set aside.

Place the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave or on the stove in a double boiler. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. (It burns really fast, trust me, I'm an expert at burning chocolate) . In the microwave, melt at 30 second to one minute intervals. Remove and stir. Cook just until chocolate is melted.

To assemble:

Remove pb balls from refrigerator. Dip into melted chocolate, then roll into nuts. Place back on another cookie sheet or pan, and refrigerate. After they chocolate is set, remove and store in Tupperware or other covered container. These keep well for a long time in the refrigerator. Or in the freezer. As long as your husband doesn't see them :)

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