I think I nailed it **The perfect Chocolate Cookie

I've been looking for a good chocolate cookie for years now. Finally took matters into my own hands, started experimenting and I think I've nailed it!

My Chocolate Peanut Roll Cookies are soft, chewy, deliciously rich in chocolate with a slight tinge of mint and a grand finale of crushed peanuts. GAWD, they are so good! I was not sure about the mint flavor with peanuts but it is excellent and this is definitely an adult cookie. It's a small recipe because I was experimenting, so I'm not sure if it would work well doubled or not. As written below it will make 10-12 cookies and I ate every single 1 of them.







Chocolate Peanut Roll Cookies
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. flour
1 egg
4 TBL unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp powdered instant espresso powder (see **NOTE)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp peppermint extract (or any kind of mint extract would work)
3/4 c. crushed salted peanuts


With a hand mixer or by hand mix butter and powder sugar until blended. Blend in egg. Add vanilla, mint, salt, espresso powder and chocolate powder. When I add chocolate powder I mix by hand. Add flour and blend only until flour is completely incorporated.

Dough will be very soft. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for a minute.

On a clean board or pastry cloth roll dough into a log about 10" long and 2 1/2" wide. Cookies do not raise during the baking process so the width of your log is the size the cookie will be after baking. Smaller cookies, 2", are better if you're making them for a party or buffet so just make the diameter of the log the size you want for the finished cookie.

Place the dough log on plastic and wrap it up tightly. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes until firm for not hard.

Crush peanuts. I have a nut grinder but you can use a food processor or put the nuts in a zip lock bag and crush with a meat mallet or rolling pin. If you use your food processor, just pulse until the peanuts are crushed.

Remove cookie dough from refrigerator and unwrap but leave the dough log on the plastic wrap. Sprinkle the crushed peanuts on the plastic wrap along one side the dough log. With gentle pressure roll the Dough Log over the peanuts embedding the crushed nuts into the dough, careful to completely cover the log the peanuts. You might have to roll the log over the peanuts several times to completely cover the log.

Rewrap the Dough Log in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until very firm. Remove log, unwrap and with a sharp knife cut 1/2" slices. Even if you make your log a smaller diameter, I would still cut 1/2" slices.

Place sliced cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes or until cookies are barely firm on the bottom. Remove cookies and cool on a rack. Enjoy!

**NOTE: Espresso Powder enhances the chocolate flavor but so does Balsamic Vinegar. Next time I make these I'm going to add a little Balsamic and see what happens. I love to experiment with recipes!












Courtney of Coco Cooks is hosting the April's 10th Helping of "My Legume Love Affair" and my Chocolate Peanut Roll Cookies are my entry.



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