Ingredients
Units
- 12 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted (see Notes below for how-to)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons crème de menthe (mint liqueur or syrup, see Notes below)
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose or cake flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
For coating:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Melt chocolate pieces with butter and mix until smooth. See the Notes below for ways to do this. Stovetop: turn off the heat and let the mixture stand over warm water until ready to use. Microwave: melt the chocolate right before you start beating eggs and sugar. If the chocolate is not fluid when you need to add it, microwave it 15 seconds more before adding.Â
- Pour crème de menthe in a small bowl and add the mint extract. Reserve.
- Stir almond meal, flour, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
- Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture is thick, mousse-like, pale, and forms ribbons when the beater is lifted, from 3-5 minutes.Â
- Mix the peppermint mix into the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
- Whisk the chocolate into the egg mixture until combined.
- Whisk in the flour mixture and combine well. The batter will be somewhat runny.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to make truffles, at least 4 hours. I make it a day ahead.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
- Scoop portions of dough, roll them into balls with your hands and place them on a greased baking sheet. Your hands will get messy. Use a cookie scoop, so the cookies are the same size.Â
- Chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
- To coat the cookies, place the granulated sugar in a small bowl and the powdered sugar in another bowl.
- Remove cookies from the refrigerator and roll one at a time in the bowl of granulated sugar to lightly coat. Repeat with the remaining cookie balls, coating them heavily with powdered sugar. They must be completely white.
- Place on parchment paper or Silpat-lined cookie sheets.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until they crackle, the top is dry, but the center is still slightly soft.Â
- Allow them to cool completely on wire racks.Â
- Store leftovers in tin or cookie jars, being careful how you stack them so you don't lose the powdered sugar coating.
Notes
- Organization:Â read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time:Â consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.Â
- Cookie scoop: use them to have evenly-sized cookies. I use this small stainless steel cookie scoop (1.57inch/ 4cm) for regular-sized cookies. If baking larger cookies, adjust the baking time.Â
- Chocolate: use your favorite dark semisweet chocolate for this recipe. I like Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers or Ghirardelli Premium baking bar.
- Mint extract: we use peppermint for the best mint flavor, like Mc Cormick pure peppermint extract or Simply Organic peppermint flavor.
- Creme de menthe: there are two types, with and without alcohol. Use mint liqueur also available at liquor stores and some supermarkets. Or creme de menthe syrup without the alcohol content, which makes sweeter cookies but is what you need if kids will be eating them.Â
- Make ahead: the cookie dough is more of a thick batter and needs hours of refrigeration to firm up enough to make truffles. This will take several hours, so I make it the day before or up to three days ahead.
- Flavor variation: change the liqueur, and you change the flavor of the cookies. Use rum, orange liqueur, amaretto (almond), Frangelico (hazelnut), or Kahlua (coffee)
- Melting chocolate: always start with chopped chocolate in a microwavable or glass bowl. You can use the microwave (short 10-15 second spurts stirring well between each one until it's fully melted) or a double boiler with the bowl containing the chopped chocolate not touching the water. In both cases, make sure it doesn't scorch. There are two ways:
Microwave: melt the ingredients on high for 10 seconds, take out and mix well. Repeat until all the chocolate is melted. Be careful you don't scorch it. That's why it's important to mix it well between each heating.Â
Stovetop: put the bowl with chocolate and butter over a smaller pan with a few inches of water. Over medium heat, let the chocolate and butter melt, stirring occasionally. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water and that no water gets into the bowl. If the water boils too much before the chocolate is melted, turn the heat off and let the hot vapor melt the remaining chocolate.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/40
- Calories: 109
- Sugar: 11.2 g
- Sodium: 5.9 mg
- Fat: 5.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1.9 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg