Fill up that cookie jar Kristina

This cookie recipe is especially reserved for the holidays and is my favourite to make.  Making these cookies signalled the beginning of all the preparations for the upcoming season’s festivities; a time of family, friends and celebration.  To this day they still evoke pleasant thoughts and warm memories of the holidays.

I like to substitute almond extract for the peppermint extract in the frosting for this cookie.  This is a wonderfully chewy, melt in your mouth cookie.  Along with the distinctive and complimentary flavour combinations of chocolate and almond, this is what makes this cookie my all-time favourite.

A wonderful flavour combination 

1 cup                                sugar
½ cup                               margarine or butter, softened
1 tsp.                                vanilla
1                                       egg
2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup                               all-purpose flour
½ tsp.                              salt 

Peppermint Frosting (below)

½ cup                             margarine or butter, softened
2 tbsp.                            corn syrup
1 package (6 oz.)         semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375°F.  Mix sugar, ½ cup margarine, the vanilla, egg and unsweetened chocolate.  Stir in flour and salt.  Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten each cookie with greased bottom of glass dipped in sugar.  Bake until set, about 8 minutes.  Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet.  Cool cookies completely.

Spread Peppermint Frosting over each cookie to within ¼ inch of edge.  Heat ¼ cup margarine, the corn syrup and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly, until margarine and chocolate are melted.  Drizzle mixture over each cookie.

 Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Peppermint Frosting

2 ½ cups                     powdered sugar
¼ cup                           margarine or butter, softened
3 tbsp.                          milk
½ tsp                            peppermint extract 

Mix all ingredients until smooth and of spreading consistency.

(Reprinted from Betty Crocker 110 Cookie Recipes © 1987 General Mills , Inc.)

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