Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies

I had an idea for a very simple sandwich cookie, two layers of a tender chocolate cookie with a chocolate mint as the sandwich filling.  In the UK, and probably elsewhere too, you can buy After Eight mints which are squares of dark chocolate with a peppermint cream in the centre.  These are very thin little chocolates and I thought they would be an ideal sandwich cookie filling.  

The heat of the freshly baked cookies is just enough to melt the chocolate enough to stick the two cookies together.  Then when cooled they are a lovely sandwich cookie.

The cookies are simple to make and don’t take long at all.  The recipe below will make 48 cookies, so 24 sandwich cookies.  For the filling one of the chocolate mints is sufficient but two may suit some tastes more.  So the number required is dependent on taste.

Mine, with just one chocolate mint as the filling, tasted very good indeed.  The cookies had a very tender texture and the minty flavour of the filling was just right.

Ingredients:

• 235g(1 2/3 cups) plain flour
• 75g(3/4 cup) cocoa powder
• 150g(3/4 cup) caster or granulated sugar
• 1/2tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 227g(1 cup) softened unsalted butter, in 16 cubes
• 1 box of After Eight mints(or similar).

Method:

1. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl and add the salt, baking powder and sugar, then mix to combine.
2. Using a hand mixer(or by hand) add the butter one cube at a time and mix in on low speed.
3. When all the butter has been added and mixed in with just a few lumps remaining use your hands to pull the mixture into a dough.
4. Form into a disc and cover with plastic wrap, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F.
6. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
7. Divide the dough into two equal pieces.
8. Roll out the first piece between two sheets of parchment paper, to a thickness of 1/8 inch/3mm.
9. Cut out cookies with a 2 1/4 inch(or similar) cookie cutter.
10. Transfer to a baking sheet, leaving a gap between each.
11. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven and immediately place a mint onto half of the cookies.
13. As soon as the remaining cookies are cool enough to lift place them on top of the melting chocolate mint.
14. Allow to cool completely before serving.
15. Repeat with the remaining dough.
16. Note: for a thicker filling use two chocolate mints.