Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm always looking for new ways to mix up my chocolate chip cookie recipe and when I found this mint chip idea, I knew they would make the perfect festive treat for St. Patrick's Day! The simple swap of peppermint extract instead of vanilla and a few drops of green food dye completely changed the taste and look of my favorite dessert. I have yet to bring homemade goodies in to work so I'll be sharing a couple dozen of these cookies with my coworkers on Thursday. I'm hoping they are as big of a hit at work as they were at home - my family loved these! 

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

green food coloring

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 package vanilla pudding mix

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars on low speed. Add peppermint extract. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture, stopping halfway to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl to be sure all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add vanilla pudding mix and beat well. Add green food coloring until you’ve reached the desired shade. Reduce the mixer to low speed and add the chocolate chips, just until mixed throughout.

On non-stick ungreased baking sheets, place one-inch balls of cookie dough one inch apart. I use a cookie scooper to ensure all the cookies are the same size. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing. I like them best right out of the oven when the cookies are warm & the chocolate is melty! They keep well for a few days in an air-tight container, but since this recipe makes about 6 dozen, I usually keep about half of them in the freezer - they last a lot longer and taste freshly baked even a week later!