Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and as many of you know, his feast day is this upcoming weekend, on March 17th. Although I went to an Episcopalian school as a young girl, I knew very little about Saint Patrick until I started to write this blog post.
I learned a few details worth sharing. Saint Patrick was born in the first century and lived most of his childhood in captivity. There, under what were imaginably trying circumstances, he developed a relationship with God. At the age of 20, he finally escaped and returned to his family in Britain. But like most good stories, Saint Patrick’s past didn’t melt away. After his ordination many years later, he returned to the land of his captivity. But this time as a free-man and a bearer of the Christian gospel.
And so it doesn’t entirely surprise me that people throughout the centuries have latched on to this man and his story. Because within the legend of Saint Patrick there is the golden thread of redemption, and we humans love stories where bad situations are worked for good.
But nowadays, most of us are more familiar with what Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations encourage: a heavy round of drinking. And while I’d love to sit back with a cold glass and a few friends, my little Lucy is very pleased that I’m abstaining from all alcohol until she is safely outside of my womb. But thankfully, there are many other ways to celebrate Saint Patrick’s day (and to be perfectly honest, I’d rather eat a cookie and learn about Saint Patrick than drink a glass of beer!)
McCormick® generously sent me a package of their Pure Peppermint Extract and Green Food Coloring to experiment with in the kitchen this March. I opened the bottle of peppermint extract right away, and the smell transported me. The minty and cool aroma made me want to dive into my mixing bowls. In my mind, mint pairs perfectly with one quintessential dessert staple. I knew at first whiff I had to include chocolate in my recipe.
These Mint Chocolate Mash-Up cookies are a melding of two classic flavors…with a little luck of the Irish thrown in. McCormick® created a great chart that offers tips on tinting your baked treats the perfect shade of green (believe me, this is a cake decorator’s best friend!) Colorful and flavorful, these soft and chewy cookies delight both the eyes and the senses. Every good chef and baker knows that there’s much more involved in cooking than just taste! Thankfully, these cookies look, smell, taste, and even feel delicious!
When I have little ones running underfoot, I imagine us working together on a batch of these cookies. While you probably don’t want your kids mixing the dough, they can certainly help you “mash-up” the chocolate and mint balls into one giant piece of cookie goodness. My niece and nephews couldn’t stop eating them (and us adults had a hard time stopping at two!) Add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, and you have a great dessert to serve on Saint Patrick’s Day.
Mint Chocolate Mash-Up Cookies
Chocolate Dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mint Dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Peppermint Extract
50 drops (or 1 teaspoon) McCormick® Green Food Color
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. To make Chocolate Dough: beat together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Add in egg and beat until well combined. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold these dry ingredients into your butter-sugar mixture. Stir until dough comes together. Move to a storage container or plastic bag and allow dough to chill for 1-2 hours.
2. To make Mint Dough: beat together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Add in egg, Pure Peppermint Extract, and Green Food Color. Beat until green and well-combined. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold these dry ingredients into your butter-sugar mixture. Stir until dough comes together. Move to a storage container or plastic bag and allow dough to chill for 1-2 hours (basically the same as the chocolate dough…just more color and flavor!)
3. After dough is thoroughly chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. To “mash-up” cookies: take about 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate dough and form into a ball. Repeat process with mint dough. Mash the two balls together and roll into one large ball of cookie dough. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies look just slightly underdone. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on cookie sheet before removing to a wire rack.