Mint Ganache Cookies

Mint Ganache Cookies are not only beautiful and tinted pastel green, but they are also deliciously flavoured with mint and topped with a silky, smooth, creamy mint ganache. Unlike most ganache recipes, this one is prepared with butter, which keeps it shiny and velvety!

Before anyone can point out the fact that I shared a ganache type of cookie recipe just yesterday, I’m already aware of that. I never shy away from a good thing, and I’ve admitted in the past that once I find something that I really like, I run with it until I get my fill. It just so happens that right now I’m on a ganache kick. And, once you get a bite of these Mint Ganache Cookies, you’ll thank me!

I made these cookies three times to get them just right. I was toying with the idea of preparing a green, mint-flavoured cookie just like the one you see in the photos. Rather than a ganache filling, I wanted to top the cookies with Andes Mint Chocolate, because we really like those. I ended up settling on a minty ganache center, and I’m so glad I did!

For some unknown reason or another, it can be rather difficult to find certain food items in Canada.  Andes Mints are one of those items; others include Kraft Caramel Bits, or Cinnamon flavoured chips. Seriously, Dear Reader, I have almost moved mountains trying to find some of these items. And, because I test my holiday recipes weeks or months before the Christmas season, things like Andes Mints can be hard to track down.

So, in the case of these Mint Ganache Cookies, not being able to source Andes Mints was a blessing in disguise because I think the mint flavour ganache is a much better center for these light and airy pastel green cookies!

LORD BYRON’S 24 COOKIES OF CHRISTMAS – VOLUME 5

I’m so excited about this year’s cookie countdown! This is the fifth consecutive year; can you believe that? Each of the previous years has included 24 cookies and this year will not be any different. I’ll share a new Christmas cookie recipe each and every single day for the next 24 days – even on Saturday and Sunday!

You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas cookie recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to bake the same holiday cookies year after year?

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Volume 5 of Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas! Fresh off of my 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas and my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series, I’m ready to plow through the next 24 days with you!

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday baking countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

To Prepare the Base of the Cookie:

• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar. 
• Mint Extract – Mint extract is different from peppermint extract, but they are often used interchangeably. Mint is a combination of spearmint and peppermint, while peppermint is just peppermint. Mint is a bit more mild than peppermint. If you don’t have mint extract, you can use peppermint instead.
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Green Food Colouring
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder – This is used to increase the volume of the batter and to add texture as well.

To Prepare the Mint Ganache Topping:

• Chocolate Chips – I use chocolate chips a lot in my recipes, and I change up the type depending on how I feel.  Unless the recipe states otherwise, you can use milk, semi-sweet, or dark chips too. I used semi-sweet chocolate here.
• Cream – Sometimes called whipping cream or heavy cream, this high-fat content dairy product is often used for dessert toppings, ice creams, and even some cakes and cookies.  Look for a cream with 35 – 38% fat content.
• Mint Extract
• Butter 

HEAVY CREAM VS WHIPPING CREAM

Confession time – I use them both interchangeably, depending on what is available at the store, or whatever is on sale! Both of these can be quite costly. If memory serves me correctly, a 250mL carton, or one cup, here in Canada, will run just short of $5! There is a difference between the two, but not enough to concern yourself with when it comes to Mint Ganache Cookies.

Just in case you’re interested, the most basic difference is the amount of fat contained in both. Whipping cream has 35% fat. It can be whipped into peaks and it’s also rich enough that it won’t curdle when heated in soups and sauces. It’s nearly identical to heavy cream so if a recipe calls for heavy cream and you can only find whipping cream, feel free to use that instead. In contrast, heavy cream, which is sometimes called heavy whipping cream, contains about 38% fat. Either of those would work well in this recipe. I used 35% whipping cream.

FOOD COLOURING

Before I get too far into this, I am just going to get this one thing out of the way. Yes, I did use food colouring to tint the cookie dough. Using food colouring is not ideal for some people, but I don’t personally have an issue with it. I know there are many “natural” ways of colouring food, so if you already employ those in other recipes, feel free to do so here too.

Using the gel type of food colouring is best in this case. The gel will allow you to tint the dough without changing its viscosity. You may have to use too much of the liquid colouring to get the dough tinted enough. Adding drops of liquid colouring will change the firmness of the dough and may result in a thinner cookie than desired.

If you’ve been reading Lord Byron’s Kitchen for any length of time, you will know that I’m a fan of gel food colouring. In fact, 99% of the time, I use Wilton brand gel in all of my recipes. I’m not sponsored at all by Wilton, but that particular brand is always reliable. When it comes to liquid food colouring, I trust the Club House brand to give me control over how much colour I want and it never disappoints when it comes to being vibrant.

HOW TO MAKE MINT GANACHE COOKIES

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Set that aside. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and the confectioner’s sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy and smooth.  Add the mint extract, both egg yolks, and the green food colouring. Beat until thoroughly blended.

Add the flour and the baking powder to the mixing bowl and beat until just incorporated. Portion the dough into one-tablespoon amounts. Roll it into balls and set them two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a wooden mixing spoon to poke a deep hole into the center of each ball. Do not push the handle of the spoon all the way through!

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. Remove them from the oven and use the wooden spoon once again to reshape the hole/well, if needed. Cool the cookies for three minutes and transfer them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

PREPARING THE MINT GANACHE

Once the cookies are completely cool, it’s time to prepare and apply the ganache topping. To do so, add the chocolate, cream, and butter, and mint extract to a microwave-safe bowl.  In 30-second increments on high speed, melt the ingredients together until smooth.  Be sure to stir well between each increment.  Once the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, transfer the ganache to a Ziploc bag. 

Use scissors to cut a small tip from one lower corner of the bag.  Gently squeeze the chocolate mixture into the hold/well of each cookie. Because this ganache is not as firm as regular ganache, do not overfill the holes to prevent it from running over the side of the cookie. The chocolate mixture might seem thin, but it will firm up.  

Allow cookies to rest until the ganache has set – about an hour or so. Once cool, stack them in a cookie tin with a piece of parchment paper between layers. Store the cookies at room temperature or freeze them in freezer-friendly containers or tins.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Mint Ganache Cookies, you certainly can! Once completely cooled, pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. If packaging, wait until the condensation has evaporated. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!