Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies

This simple, delicious cookie is a Christmas family tradition I inherited from my mother in law. My husband has enjoyed these cookies since he was a child, and still gets excited about the prospect of enjoying one or possibly six. His inner child is never far from the surface, and can always be lured out with a tasty treat.

I found a nice article about this cookie that ran in the Chicago Tribune in April, 2015. It seems the Holutas are not the only family that adores Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies! The article goes into some detail about the challenge of obtaining the mint surprise. In a pinch, Andes mint candies will work, but it’s best to try to find a minty, chocolatey disk. If you’ve discovered a good, reliable source, let me know about it. I’m currently using the last of my Trader Joe’s UFO stash, and some Ghirardelli dark chocolate baking wafers.

Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies

Makes 75 cookies

Ingredients
3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 each egg
1 tsp vanilla
75 ea pecan or walnut halves
75 ea chocolate mint wafers

Instructions
In a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.

To the creamed sugar mixture, add the eggs and vanilla. Mix with a spoon until well blended.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, a half cup at a time, mixing thoroughly with a large spoon.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for two hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Take a teaspoon of dough and roll between the palms of your hands into a ball. Place it on the cookie sheet. Gently press a chocoate wafer down on the ball, flattening the dough and imbedding the wafer.

Roll another teaspoon of dough and place on top of the chocolate wafer. Gently flatten it to completely cover the chocolate wafer. Try to keep the shape of the dough nice and round. These cookies don’t ‘melt’ while cooking, so the shape you make now is the shape your final cookie will have.

Repeat, cookie assembly process, leaving two inches of space between cookies, to fill the cookie sheet.

Place a nut half on top of each cookie and press it lightly to bond it.

Bake 8 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown. Gently transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

A serving size is three cookies. (Unless you are a Holuta, then a serving size is ‘until you fall over’)