OK, y’all. Somebody’s gotta be jokin’ me. As some of you already know, earlier this week Two Red Bowls was named a finalist for Best New Blog in Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog Awards. (I may or may not have had to stop typing at least three times in the last sentence to breathe shallowly into a paper bag.) If you feel like voting for me, you can here until April 9th, but with the happy news we already had earlier this month, being a finalist has already surpassed all my wildest dreams. My cup runneth seriously over, you guys. I can’t express how thankful and overwhelmed and gratified I am at all your warm wishes on our engagement and this crazy surprise too. If I think about it too much I get wibbly. Thank you.
So, that said, I would much rather focus on these dark chocolate gems. Ever since I saw these babies on Not Without Salt last week, I’ve been taken with the idea of fresh mint and chocolate together. I actually have a comically low tolerance for mint things (um, bubblegum toothpaste, anyone?) so the idea of a gentler, sweeter mint-chocolate pairing was music to my ears. And they came out phenomenally. There’s a bit of fresh mint chopped up in the cookie dough itself, and one delicate candied mint leaf to top it off, resulting in a mint flavor that whispers rather than yells — a spring breeze instead of winter gales. (Any day now, New York. Any day you feel like it.) The cookie base is a recipe adapted from Call Me Cupcake and How Sweet It Is, and it’s the perfect texture, crisp on the edges but silky smooth in the center, with just a bit of chew. I think you should make ’em. Enjoy!
Fresh mint dark chocolate truffle cookies
yields about 10-12 medium cookies or 16-18 small ones.
Ingredients
- for the cookie dough:
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
- 2 tbsp mint leaves, chopped very finely (more for a stronger mint flavor; you can also add a few drops of peppermint extract)
- for the candied mint leaves:
- about 12–18 leaves, depending (less if you’re making larger cookies, more if you’re making smaller)
- 1 egg white
- 2–3 tbsp superfine white sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, melt the chocolate chips and butter. You can do this in a double boiler, but most of the time I just opt for microwaving the mixture, 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until smooth and liquid. Let cool briefly.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar and eggs and beat vigorously, either by hand or with an electric beater, until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in vanilla extract, the chopped mint leaves, and the chocolate-butter mixture and beat again until combined.
- Finally, fold in the dry ingredients and the remaining chocolate chips. Set the dough aside and let cool. You can refrigerate it if you like, but I found that these were fine without chilling the dough.
- Meanwhile, make the candied mint leaves. Lay leaves flat on a paper towel. Whisk the egg white and brush it lightly overtop the leaves, then dust with sugar and let dry.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop a tablespoon of dough at a time and roll into small balls, placing them about 3 inches apart on a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until edges are set but centers are still soft.
- Let cool briefly, then press mint leaves into the centers of the cookies. You can brush the center of the cookie with a bit of the extra egg white if you like before pressing the leaf on, but it’s not necessary. Enjoy!
Notes
I generally like to test one cookie in the oven before baking the rest of the batch — my oven is finicky and I often have problems with my cookies not spreading, so my instructions may yield a flatter cookie for you. If that’s the case, refrigerate the dough for a good amount of time (at least 30 minutes and up to 3-4 hours or even overnight) before baking and you should get less spread.
Kathryn
I think all of this proves something that I’ve long believed – good things happen to good people. I could not be more thrilled for you and all of your success! And that you made cookies of course ; )
tworedbowls
And you, dear Kathryn, are the best people <3 Thank you so much for being the best friend a gal could ask for -- I'm really hoping one day I'll make it out to London or you'll be in NY and we can devour a cookie or ten together!
Erika
So very happy for you! Can’t say that enough.. I feel I’ve bonded with you (virtually) so I’m seriously rooting for you sistah.. now send me some of these cookies..
Oh and I’m feelin the moody vibes in these photos.. Beautiful! 🙂
tworedbowls
<3<3 Right?! We are soul food sistas -- it was love at first buttermilk rosemary pancake over here. Thank you SO much girl. I def owe you a whole package of these!
cheri
Congrats on your nomination! lovely looking cookies.
tworedbowls
Thank you so so much, Cheri <3
Kate Veggie Desserts
Congratulations! It’s a very well-deserved nomination as your blog is utterly fab.
tworedbowls
Thank you so so much, Kate!
Jane Y.
so awesome. just coming from voting for ya! and these cookies look amazing!!
tworedbowls
Oh, Jane!!!! Thank you so much! <3 You're the best. Give Piri a snuggle for me!!!
Michelle (@HummingbirdHigh)
I saw these this morning and literally GASPED out loud. Beautiful as usual, Cynthia! And congratulations on the Saveur Magazine nomination — you deserve it! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for ya.
tworedbowls
Thank you so so much, Michelle! You’re seriously the best — all your kind messages have made my week that much better <3 Thank you!
pinkpatisserie
No doubt, you have had an awesome week! All good things..So very happy for you and so very well deserved.. Those cookies are the perfect way to celebrate.
tworedbowls
It’s been one to remember, that’s for sure. 🙂 Believe it or not, it was my birthday last Friday, too — good thing I don’t do much for my birthday or else I don’t think I could have handled it all!!! 😉 Thank you so very much for such sweet words <3<3
Skye
Very well deserved nomination. Have already voted already.
I have been looking for a good dark chocolate cookie recipe for a while – so I’ve pinned these and am looking forward to giving them a try. Thank you for sharing.
tworedbowls
Ooh, I hope you like them if you do! They’ve been my go-to fudge cookie recipe since I first tried them a few months back. And thank you so so much for your kind words <3
Allison (Spontaneous Tomato)
Big congratulations, Cynthia!! Ahhh and those cookies look so good! I need to get into the fresh-herb-candying scene…
tworedbowls
Candying herbs is so much fun!!! It feels like healthy candy … even though I know it’s not. Haha. Thank you so much, Allison! I still remember your comment as one of the first ones I ever got on my blog 🙂
Allison (Spontaneous Tomato)
Thanks, Cynthia! Yep, little did I know I had found such a gem of a blog. 🙂
saucygander
Congratulations, again! Your nomination is well deserved, I’ll be voting for you!! 😀
tworedbowls
Thank you so so much!!
erika
Hahaha you are adorable and these photos! As always, amazing. Blurgh. I was just shooting super chocolate-y cookies yesterday afternoon–if only I’d seen this post in time! You are always a great source of inspiration 🙂 I am soooo excited to watch you win the Saveur award cause you deserve it! Just voted for ya <3
tworedbowls
AWWw Erika!! oh it would be so weird if I won and I so don’t think that will happen!! But it means so much to me to know you voted. It makes me all warm and fuzzy in my tummy 😉 Um, but speaking of inspiration, your CAKES?! Not only are they alllll over my Pinterest feed (yayayay!!) but I can’t stop staring at them and those gorgeous photos! So much inspiration. I can’t wait to see your super chocolate-y cookies 🙂 I’m sure they’re going to inspire me too <3
steph
these looks so dark and delicious…i love mint and chocolate together. i think i’m the only one in my family who eats after eights at christmas. these cookies are totally up my alley.
gorgeous photography as always, and again, congrats!! vegas, baby!!
tworedbowls
Right?! Mint chocolate is one of the only ways I like mint (that and the pink bubblemint from Orbit…. that pretty much just tastes like cold bubblegum bahah) High-five!
Vegas, baby, Vegas!!!
Shikha la mode
Wow, what an amazing week for you – congratulations on so many fronts!! I’m sure the NYC weather will let up soon – don’t they know what a great week this is?!?!
I really want to come back to New York soon. I had so much fun and pretty much ate my weight in food with no shame – that included TWO trips EACH to Momofuku Milk Bar and Dominic Ansel Bakery.
tworedbowls
Oh my gosh, TWO visits to Dominique Ansel? That’s true commitment, girl. I’m so impressed! How was it?! Did you wait in that crazy cronut line or go for his other treats? I heard the other ones are better anyway 😉 the kouign amanns look so so good. Thanks so much for your sweet words, Shikha 🙂
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
I was so excited for you when I saw that you were on the list of nominees. You deserve it, girl. Your blog is one of my favourites for a thousand reasons (too many to list here. You know I’m one of your biggest fans!). These photos are so incredibly beautiful, like art, and your cookies look amazing. I love that candied mint leaf on top!
tworedbowls
Nancy, you are seriously the best. <3 Your friendship has been one of the best things to come out of this adventure -- thanks so much for being the bomb dot com.
Sini│my blue&white kitchen
Oh Cynthia. This place of yours has quickly become one of my most favorite places to visit. For sure, one reason is your incredible personality (I so hope we’ll get the chance to meet one day!) but then there is your thoughtful writing as well as your mouthwatering recipes. And girl, your photography is taking BIG leaps at the moment!! This post’s photos are gorgeous and the cookies look divine – love the candied mint leaves on top. Happy to have you here.
xo,
Sini
tworedbowls
Oh, Sini! You know I feel the exact same way about your space. This friendship of ours has been one of my favorite things to come out of the last few months — meeting you in real life would be the next! (Vegas?!) I’m so honored to be in this with you. <3
Cate @ Chez CateyLou
Congratulations, Cynthia! That is such exciting news. I’m going to vote for you right now!!! And these cookies look amazing – such a good idea to use fresh mint in cookies. I never think to do that!
tworedbowls
You are so, so sweet, Cate — I’m so bad with handling votes-based things and asking people to vote for me so that means so much. 🙂 And fresh mint with chocolate baked goods is genius, isn’t it? I would have never thought of it if it weren’t for Ashley. And yet now it seems obvious. Haha. Hope you’re having a great week, friend. 🙂
emily
As if* I have to even say the words. You KNOW you’re a total gem and you’ve earned the shit out of this nomination, Cynthia. It’s been such an inspiration seeing how much you’ve done with TRB in just the past few months. Love having scary talented people like you alongside me in this little recipe blogging space. And just in case I do have the say the words: so many gigantic congratulations!
* Totally acceptable if you paused there to think of Cher. Like, Clueless Cher. Not Moonstruck Cher. If I could turn back time. Okbyebyenow.
tworedbowls
Man, Em, the last thing I feel is “scary talented”! Especially when I’m peering at bread that hasn’t risen, or breaking my teeth on hard rolls with too much flour, or accidentally serving B2 underdone chicken (uhhh… oooops. It was a long time ago. So as far as we know nothing bad has happened…yet.) But I appreciate your kind words more than I can say 🙂 You are awesome and I am so mega lucky to have you as a blog friend. <3
Carol on Carroll
Your best-cookies-i’ve-ever-baked earned me so many compliments I’ll definitely be making all your cookie suggestions from here on out. Congratulations on all the good news, too!
wallflourgirl
Dang, girl–you can have all the hyperventilation-worthy paper bags you want, congrats! It’s my first time stopping by your blog (pointed here by Gotta Get Baked!), and I was floored by your photographs. I missed voting, but if I ever meet Dr. Who and get to traverse time, know that I’d go back and cast a vote in your favor. Looking forward to reading up here!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
You had me at truffle, love these cookies and congrats on Saveur – your nomination is well deserved!