CHOCOLATE MINT COOKIES


"Before I had children," says Annie Denn of Mission Viejo, California. "I was in the airline industry. Working full-time used to leave me exhausted at the end of the day, but now I've discovered that my old job was a piece of cake compared to my responsibilities as a stay-at-home mom. In addition to keeping the house in order, I volunteer at my children�s schools. It's fun to go into their classrooms and help out with projects and reading groups, but those activities leave little time for cooking.
When I do get into the kitchen, I make dishes that are simple and delicious�which isn't easy given the different eating styles in my family. My daughters, Cassandra and Melinda, request hot dogs and pizza every night. Plus, they're quite the little cookie monsters. On the other hand, my husband, Mike, is a real meat-and-potatoes guy who doesn�t have much of a sweet tooth. Although it�s hard to come up with a compromise every night, I can usually put together a quick and flavorful steak dish with a batch of freshly baked cookies for dessert. That makes everyone ?especially Mom ?very happy."

Made mostly with chocolate and just a bit of flour, these cookies have an intense chocolate flavor and a chewy texture.

2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Preheat oven to 350�F. Line 3 large baking sheets with foil; butter foil. Place 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips in medium glass bowl. Microwave on medium-high until melted, stirring every 30 seconds, about 2 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Mix flour and baking powder in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, corn syrup and extract in medium bowl until thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in melted chocolate, then dry ingredients. Mix in remaining chocolate chips; freeze 10 minutes.

Drop 7 heaping tablespoons batter on each prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart (cookies will spread). Bake until cookies are cracked on top and softly set, about 15 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.

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