Chocolate-Mint Creams

Saint Patrick’s Day has never been a big deal for me. I'm not Irish. I do my best to remember to wear green to avoid getting pinched, but the thrill of green beer and rowdy bars holds little to no appeal for this girl. That was, until I discovered how fun it was to make holiday-themed goodies.

I recently made chocolate mint cream cookies, which instantly put me in a festive St Patrick's Day mood. This treat guarantees a lucky day!

What you will need:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 6 ounce package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate pieces

1 egg, lightly beaten

Pastel cream mint kisses

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together flour and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and water. Cook and stir over low heat until butter is melted. Add chocolate pieces; cook and stir until chocolate is melted. Pour mixture into a large bowl; cool for 10 minutes.

2. Using a wooden spoon, stir egg into chocolate mixture. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 8 minutes. Immediately place a mint kiss on top of each cookie. Bake about 2 minutes more or until edges are set. If desired, gently swirl the melted mints with a table knife. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool until melted mints are firm. Makes about 48 cookies.