Chocolate Mint Nonpareil Cookies

One of my favorite types of candy is a nonpareil. I love the crunch you get with each bite because of all of the nonpareil sprinkles. So when Christmas time comes around, I love getting those mint chip nonpareils that come in those bright pastel colors. This year, I figured, why not add them to some cookies?

These Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies are rich and fudgy, with a hint of mint in each bite. The mint chip nonpareils give them an added crunch that works well with their soft, fudgy center. It's one of my new favorite holiday cookies!

A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED

• Room Temperature Ingredients:
  • Butter: It’s important that your butter is softened. In a pinch, you can put your butter in the microwave for about 5 seconds on each side, but watch closely to make sure it is just softening and not melting.
  • Eggs: You want to make sure that your eggs are at room temperature to ensure that they are properly incorporated into your batter. If you forget to leave them out before you start baking, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until they become room temperature.
• Measuring Your Ingredients: I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
  • However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.
• Oven Temperature: Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
  • I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so its important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.

Preheat oven to 350º F. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and melted chocolate on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Carefully fold in the mint chip nonpareils. Place the bowl of dough in the fridge and chill it for about 10 minutes.

Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, form cookies into balls and place each cookie a few inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Add a few pieces of mint chip nonpareils to the top of each cookie with the nonpareil side up.

Bake for 12-13 minutes or until cookies are firm around the edges. Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet before carefully moving them to a cooling rack.

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