Chocolate Mint Melt Aways Food

CHOCOLATE MINT MELTAWAYS

Steps:

• For cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F Butter 2 heavy large cookie sheets. Using electric mixer, cream butter and extracts in medium bowl until light. Beat in sugar. Beat in half of flour. Stir in remaining flour. Roll the dough into small balls and flatten them slighty. Bake until golden brown on edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and cool.
• For ganache: Bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Mix in extract. Refrigerate just until firm enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Line 2 cookie sheets with foil. Using small metal icing spatula, spread 1 teaspoon ganache over flat side 1 cookie. Arrange ganache side up on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ganache is firm, about 30 minutes.
• For coating: Melt bittersweet chocolate and vegetable shortening in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from over water.
• Grasp cookie on sides and dip ganache side into bittersweet chocolate; shake cookie to remove excess chocolate. Place cookie on same sheet, chocolate side down. Repeat with remaining cookies. Chill until chocolate sets, 30 minutes. Remove cookies from foil.
• (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in single layers in airtight containers. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.).

CHOCOLATE MINT MELTAWAYS

Steps:

• COOKIES:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt over hot (not boiling) water, 1 cup of mint chocolate chips; stir until smooth.
• Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, and egg yolk.
• Beat until creamy.
• Add melted chips and flour; beat until well blended.
• Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 350 degrees F. for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Allow to stand for 3 minutes before removing from cookie sheets.
• Cool completely on wire racks.
• GLAZE:
• Combine over hot (not boiling) water the remaining 1/2 cup of mint-chocolate chips and vegetable shortening.
• Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.
• Drizzle each cookie with 1/2 t of the glaze; sprinkle with almonds.
• Chill until set.
• Stor in airtight container in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE MINT MELT-AWAYS

Steps:

• For cookies:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 heavy large cookie sheets. Using electric mixer, cream butter and extracts in medium bowl until light. Beat in sugar. Beat in half of flour. Stir in remaining flour. Spoon half of dough into pastry bag fitted with no. 4 star tip. Pipe 2 1/2-inch-long ovals with solid centers on prepared cookie sheet, spacing cookies 1/2 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until golden brown on edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and cool.
• For ganache:
• Bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Mix in extract. Refrigerate just until firm enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Line 2 cookie sheets with foil. Using small metal icing spatula, spread 1 teaspoon ganache over flat side 1 cookie. Arrange ganache side up on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ganache is firm, about 30 minutes.
• For coating:
• Melt bittersweet chocolate and vegetable shortening in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from over water.
• Dip 1 end of 1 cookie into bittersweet chocolate. Grasp cookie on sides and dip ganache side into bittersweet chocolate; shake cookie to remove excess chocolate. Place cookie on same sheet, chocolate side down. Repeat with remaining cookies. Chill until chocolate sets, 30 minutes. Remove cookies from foil. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in single layers in airtight containers. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.)