Chocolate Andes St. Patrick's Day Cookies

These are probably my favorite cookies ever.  I love chocolate.  I love mint.  I love Andes.  Put it all together and I love, love, love these cookies. 

I always think of these around St. Patrick's Day because St. Patrick's Day makes me think of the color green, green makes me think of mint, and mint makes me think of these cookies.  Therefore, I think they're St. Patrick's Day cookies.  You can't change my mind. 

Like any good cookie recipe worth a dime, start with some butter and sugar. 

There's also brown sugar involved.

Cream it together real good and add some eggs.

Oh ya, and some vanilla, too.

In a separate bowl, combine some flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda,

and add it to the creamed mixture.  It should look like this:

The original recipe calls for vanilla chips, but in the 12 years I've been making this recipe, I've yet to find vanilla chips in any grocery store and I'm too cheap to pay for shipping to order them online.  So I use regular chocolate chips.  Or white chocolate chips if aesthetics is a concern of mine.  But its usually not. 

And then comes my favorite part of this recipe...

Its so hard to resist eating these immediately. 

So I don't. 

I usually eat several. 

But then I come to my senses and remember the cookies. 

Chop them up very roughly.

Now add these and the chocolate chips to your cookie dough.

Does anyone eat cookie dough?

I don't.  I don't happen to like cookie dough.  But this dough makes me want to like it.  Maybe one day I'll give in.

But, for now, I prefer this cookie dough in its intended form.

Chocolate Andes St. Patrick's Day Cookies Recipe
1 c. butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 package Andes mints, chopped
1 c. chocolate or vanilla or white chocolate chips

Cream together butter and sugars, add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, soda, and salt.  Add to creamed mixture and beat until smooth.  Stir in chips and mints.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.