These cookies bring out the very worst in me. I simply can not leave them alone, even though I know refined sugar and my stomach (the picky thing that it has become) will forever more remain at odds. So when my brain tells me to step away from the cookies for the sake of my stomach, my taste buds still yearn for the younger me who could eat anything with impunity. It’s like my taste buds have a mind of their own! So my question to you is this; why aren’t the various areas of my body working together as a team? Is it really that unreasonable to expect my body parts to join forces to keep me healthy in my (uh hum) – golden years? Well apparently it must be an unrealistic expectation. Because from everything I can tell, my taste buds, while certainly more sophisticated than when I was young, still work as well as they did when I was 19. Reverse those 2 numbers today and you have the approximate working mental age of my brain! (Or so it seems.) Although my brain still guides me in the right direction when it comes to matters of common sense (like what I should or should not be eating), it can no longer remember why I entered a room, or the last word in many of my sentences! Now if only my taste buds would slow down and my brain would speed us, we might actually forge a meeting of the “minds”. Wouldn’t that be delightful!

So in many ways, when it comes to these cookies, my only recourse is to have Mr. C. hide them. Although this works, it’s really not very dignified. But sometimes a little lack of dignity is good for the soul. Proves you’re human and all. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

Now I know the most obvious solution would be to discontinue baking this cookie, thus keeping me off the path of temptation. But how nice would that be for others if I simply stopped making any type of food because it was too tempting for me to exhibit restraint? Nope, I can’t do that. So I’m going to continue making these cookies and let the chips (chocolate of course) fall where they will. As for you, if you really love a dark chocolate cookie with a lovely minty essence, I would advise you build some of these at your earliest convenience. They are truly over the top delicious.

• 1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• ¾ tsp. premium peppermint extract
• 2 c. flour
• ¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips (I use the miniature chips)

Cream the butter and sugar until soft. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla and peppermint extract. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Blend well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonful or small ice cream scoop onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 8-9 minutes. Cookies will be soft. Do not over-bake. Cool for a couple of minutes on cookie sheet; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Hide cookies from your family. (If you want any for yourself, this instruction must be followed to the letter!)