Double Chocolate Mint Cookies and Cream Cookies

Oreo cookies are one of my all-time favorite store-bought cookies. Whenever I eat them, a flood of sensational memories washes over me and I am back reliving my childhood, sitting in my grandparents' living room, watching cartoons, and enjoying the good life. The simple life. We really had it made when we were younger- no responsibility, no worries, just a carefree existence that, unbeknownst to us, was shaping us into the adults we are today. Though the adult world is now full of responsibility and all of the other characteristics that our childhood lacked, there are still some things that just make everything seem all right and bring a sense of comfort back into our sometimes seemingly foreign world of jobs, children, and everything else for which we are now held accountable. For me, one of those things is Oreo cookies. And milk. What is an Oreo cookie without a big glass of milk to dunk it in? Needless to say, I jump at any chance to utilize these cookies and their perfectly balanced cookies and cream basis.

I first saw these cookies posted on Picky Palate's website. She has some fantastic and innovative stuff happening over there, and I highly recommend that you check out her page if you haven't already done so. Just click here and take a quick field trip before today's lesson starts... http://picky-palate.com/  See how easy I make life for you? :)

As soon as I saw these posted, I knew that I would have to make them. And so I did. And I put my own special twist on them... for any of you who love the Mint Fudge Oreos that come out only around Christmas as much as I do, these cookies are for you! They are really quick and easy to make, and you will find that there are so many wonderful layers of flavors going on in every single bite you take. These are, by far, one of my favorite cookies that I made recently.

Anyone else remember these??? I wait for them EVERY year- yet another thing I LOVE about the holiday season!!!

Anyways... those cookies were part of my inspiration for the changes I made to the original recipe I saw over at Picky Palate's site. But on with it....
Double Chocolate Mint Cookies and Cream Cookies:

- 2 sticks softened butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 18 whole Oreo cookies, crushed until mostly fine crumbs with a few larger pieces remaining

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a large cookie sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat liner.
2. Using either a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars until well-combined. Add eggs, vanilla, and mint extract, mixing until mostly smooth and well-combined.
3. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add to the wet ingredients, along with cocoa powder, both types of chocolate chips, and the crushed Oreo cookies, slowly mixing until just combined.
4. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet, placing approximately 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. ENJOY!

(Recipe adapted from Picky Palate)

Ahhhh...perfection! 

Seriously... these cookies will make you some friends! We took them to daycare for Teacher's Appreciation Day, and let's just say word of mouth has done it's job- in a good way for once! Try them and let me know how you like them!