quarter pound double chocolate-mint stuffed cookies

Yep another 1/4 lb cookie. I'm on a mission people. A mission to make as many varieties of quarter pound cookies as I can. Yes, I am Levain Bakery obsessed. One of my close friends Esi says I need an intervention. Is there a rehab place for those obsessed with Levain Bakery cookies? In Malibu or something? As I type this up I am eating one and having a very hard time concentrating.
You know I made the double chocolate Levain Bakery clones here, and have always wanted to factor in a mint element somewhere in there. I don't want a lot of mint because the chocolate in these cookies is high quality and strong--so I don't want that to get lost with a mint extract. Next best thing I thought are those York peppermint patties. They aren't too minty and will offer a small little package of something something in the middle of the giant HOCKEY PUCK sized cookies.

Can you guess what the next quarter pound cookie creation will be?





quarter pound double chocolate mint stuffed cookies
recipe by & from vanillasugarblog.com
print recipe

2 and ¾ sticks unsalted butter, grated & cold
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 TB half & half (or cream)
1 ½ ts pure vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
½ cup + 2 TB cocoa powder (not dutch process)
1 TB cinnamon (if you have Vietnamese cinnamon use it)
Oversized ¾ ts sea salt
1 and ½ ts baking powder
½ ts baking soda
2 cups 60 % or higher cocoa dark & milk chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (a combo of dark & milk)
10 candy mint patties (like York peppermint patties)

Grate your butter into a bowl; keep in freezer until ready to use.
In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, or by hand beat butter and both sugars just until creamy. Don’t overbeat. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and half & half and beat just until incorporated.
In another bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
When thoroughly mixed, add to batter and stir just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Keep in mind this dough is very hard to mix, sticky and thick. I just get in there and use my hands to mix, cover bowl, and get back in the fridge as soon as possible. Recipe by dawn Finicane of vanillasugarblog.com We want to keep this dough nice and cold. Chill dough at least an hour before baking.
Divide dough into 10 – 12 lemon size balls. Don’t shape as a lemon though, just shape as a nice round ball. Spilt ball in half, insert a peppermint patty, cover with other half and seal all edges. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet—keeping them 3-4 inches apart. Now back into the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Depending on your oven, these should need anywhere from 12- 15 minutes to cook. It’s hard to tell when they are done, but look for:
- slightly crisp edges
- soft in the middle
- cracks in dough ok
- all around semi firm

If you have a convection oven you might need to bake these at 365 for about 12 – 14 minutes.
Don’t overbake or they will turn into scones.
Once baked don’t try and move the cookies off the pan, they will break apart, let them rest at least an hour before moving them.
Makes 10-12 giant cookies. (mine made 10—I just wanted them huge this time round)