Chocolate Mint Swirl Cookies

More About This Recipe

• It's cookie week here on Tablespoon and if there's one rule I always try to remember when baking cookies, it's that the most efficient way to make a cookie may not be the BEST way to make a cookie.
  
  Because at the end of the day, cookies should be fun! They should make people smile when they see them and when they eat them. Anytime you can accomplish that, it's a good cookie in my book.
  
  I love this Chocolate Mint Swirl Cookie recipe so much because it's fun, but not necessarily efficient. You could definitely just add some mint extract to chocolate cookie dough and end up with basically the same flavor.
  
  But somehow that cookie just wouldn't be as FUN.
  
  This is a really simple cookie dough to make. The only tricky part is rolling it up!
  
  It's obviously important to mix your mint dough and chocolate dough in separate batches, washing the bowl well in-between.
  
  Once your two doughs are made, roll them out and chill them to make them easier to work with. Nothing beats wax paper for this purpose.
  
  Roll each piece of dough in-between two pieces of wax paper until it forms a rough 12x16 inch rectangle.
  
  Stick the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes after it's rolled out so it stiffens up a bit. That will make it a lot easier to use. It’s easiest to lay the sheets of dough on a baking sheet in the freezer.
  
  After a quick chill, remove one side from each dough sheet and spritz one side with water. Press the two doughs together!
  
  Once they are together, stick them back in the freezer for a few minutes to harden again.
  
  Next, you need to trim the dough down. This step maybe isn't 100% necessary but it'll make for a more even finished product. Just slice around the edges of the dough so there are no areas with just mint or chocolate dough.
  
  Next, using your hands, slowly roll the dough into a tight roll, starting on the widest side. This is tricky work but don't stress out about it. The chocolate dough (which should be on the bottom when you're rolling) might crack a bit, but don't worry. The cookies will still come out looking great.
  
  Roll this cylinder of dough in plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before trying to slice it. You could keep it there for days without a problem though. If you freeze the dough solid, thaw it in the fridge before trying to cut it.
  
  When slicing the dough, use a sharp, serrated knife. Make clean cuts through the dough and slice off about 1/4 inch cookies.
  
  Bake these guys on parchment paper or on a silicone mat for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let them cool for a few minutes before snacking on them!
  
  So yes. There's a ton of ways you could make these cookies easier, but I really think the final product is pretty cool looking. Once you get the hang of making swirl cookies you can do any number of variations!
  
  Nick encourages everyone to stare directly into the swirl cookies. Yes. Good. Now you feel an uncontrollable urge to check out his blog Macheesmo and his Tablespoon profile.