I wasn’t a Girl Scout as a kid. I’m not quite sure why since most of my friends were, but I did love the cookies they sold. Especially those Thin Mints. Being a huge fan of Chocolate Chip Mint Ice Cream, Thin Mints were a no-brainer choice when I got to choose which box I wanted to order (wait, are they everyone’s favorite Girl Scout Cookie?). We always kept them in our freezer which kept them one extra step away from being too easily consumed, but even so, they always disappeared pretty quickly.

Fast forward to 2015 when I had my first taste of Branca Menta. This was NOT the stuff I was pilfering out of my parents liquor cabinet (very un-Girl Scout like behavior. Maybe had I been a Girl Scout I would have been better behaved, and never pilfered anything!) But back to Branca Menta, it’s much more complex than Creme de Menthe, with deep herbs lingering under that mint flavor. It was an instant favorite as an after dinner digestif. So what happens when you combine it with one of my all time favorite cookies? THIS!

Branca Menta “Thin Mint” Cookies

The Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons butter at room temperature

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

3 tbsp Branca Menta

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

12 to 18 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and butter on medium speed until creamy and well combined, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add first the egg and then the egg yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in the extracts. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined. The dough will be super sticky. Shape the dough into a disk on the parchment paper. (If the dough is too sticky to work with, chill it in the fridge for 30 mins.) Wrap the disk of cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. (You can refrigerate the dough up to overnight, though you’ll need to let it warm slightly at room temperature before you’re able to roll it out.) Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the dough into same size balls and flatten with the bottom on a glass till about 1/4-inch thick. Bake the Branca Menta cookies, switching halfway through, until dry and crisp and firm around the edges, anywhere from 8 minutes, depending on thickness. Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheets and then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Submerge a cookie into the melted chocolate and turn to coat. Shake off any excess and place on parchment paper. Repeat for all of the cookies, re-heating the chocolate when necessary. Let cookies cool for at least 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Cookies will keep, layered between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container, for up to 1 week – if they last that long!

Yields: 18 Cookies