Easiest. Christmas Cookies. Ever.
mmm, cookies...
Every family that celebrates Christmas has "their" Christmas cookies. Their "go-to" recipes that they make every year, only at Christmastime. In our family we have two. Giant Ginger Cookies and Thin Mint Ripoffs. Maybe when I make the ginger cookies next week I'll take pics and share the recipe, but for this post, I'm going to show you how to make the thin mints.
But first, I need to ask you to suspend your initial judgement. Because experience tells me that your initial judgement will be harsh. But stick with me until the end, because I will make you a believer.
Let me sell you on them. They are by far the easiest cookie you will ever make. There are two ingredients. Seriously, only two ingredients. And you don't even have to turn on your oven. You can make a large quantity really easily, making it the perfect holiday cookie; you can make a lot to give away and still have plenty left over for your own family.
And I will boldly state that THEY TASTE BETTER THAN GIRL SCOUTS THIN MINT COOKIES. I know that sounds blasphemous, but I speak truth.
So why do I predict harsh judgement on your part, dear reader? Because in the past, when I've told people how I make them, they scoff and turn up their noses. They think it sounds weird or gross and they definitely don't believe my seemingly blasphemous claim of superiority over the Girl Scouts. Of course I then feel compelled to make the cookies and hand-deliver them to their house.
For spite, naturally. (Merry Christmas!!)
And you know what happens? Every single person takes back their initial snobbery and says, "Oh my gosh, I thought you were crazy, but they were SO GOOD! They're even better than the Girl Scouts!!! We inhaled them! How did you say you make them again?" And since I'm not really spiteful, I tell them. And now, I will tell you.
So proceed with faith. I will not lead you astray.
Ready?
Here are the two ingredients:
Yes, all you need to make these babies are Ritz Crackers and Chocolate Mint-Flavored Candy Melting Chocolates. I should stress here that you need the kind of melting chocolate sold in craft stores that is used to make candy. (do NOT use the mint-flavored chocolate chips that you find in the baking aisle of the grocery store! They won't work!)
Here's all you do. You melt the chocolate (either on the stove or in the microwave), drop the Ritz into the melted chocolate, scoop out with a fork, place on wax paper to harden. In ten minutes or less, they're done. That's it. So easy! I'll say it again:
Put wax paper on the counter:
Melt the chocolate. Drop a Ritz cracker into the melted chocolate:
Using a fork, flip it over to coat both sides:
Place on wax paper to harden:
Done.
It usually takes one bag of melting chocolates for about one sleeve of Ritz, making around 30-35 cookies. The salty butteriness of the cracker goes so perfectly with the sweet rich chocolate. It's easy to eat way more than you probably should, but who am I to judge? Mmmm....
Obviously you don't need to wait until Christmastime to make these! It might be fun to make these when the Girls Scouts Thin Mints are out and do a taste test; Girls Scouts get the money, you get the glory for outdoing the iconic cookie. Win-win.
And whatever you do, don't knock 'em until you've tried 'em.
