Recipe: Peppermint Mocha Cookies

So I was sitting around the other day dreaming about Starbucks Peppermint Mochas (as I tend to do all holiday season), and suddenly (as if divinely inspired) I thought, "If only I could make these... at home...in cookie form!"

I was inspired by the Mint Chocolate Cookies Brittany posted the other day. But with a baby at home, just the thought of making the different layers was exhausting.

So I spent half a morning searching for the perfect recipe for Peppermint Mochas in cookie form, that met the following criteria:

1. Chocolate + Coffee + Peppermint.  I found a lot with 2/3 but I needed all 3

2. Quick and Easy....no different layers, no melting chocolate..I don't have that kind of time.

3. Doesn't use too much butter...because the dog ate 3 out of the 4 sticks of my last package...uggghh..
4. Clearly looks like a mint-chocolate cookie. I didn't want to surprise anybody who thought they were eating a purely chocolate cookie

I searched all over the internet and couldn't find the perfect recipe. So I combined a few to make my own. Oh my goodness...they are amazing! It's like nibbling on a peppermint mocha anytime you want...and what could be better than that?? Perhaps nibbling on a peppermint mocha cookie while drinking a peppermint mocha...whoa...now there's a thought!

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 T. espresso powder* dissolved in 2 T water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt

*Used 1 package of Starbucks VIA powder coffee mix

MINT FILLING:**

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

4 T butter, softened

2 tsp. milk

1/4 tsp. vanilla.

1-2 Drops Peppermint Extract (a little goes a looong way!)

**Small volume, so beat until smooth in a small bowl.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter, sugar, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt. Combine with butter mixture. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Press thumb gently in center of each cookie. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. As soon as cookies are removed from oven, spoon about 1/4 teaspoon filling in thumbprint.  Cool on wire rack.

ENJOY!!