Handmade for the Holidays

I know quite a few people who do not like to bake, who say they don’t know how or who are just too busy to do so.  So, I’ve decided to share one of my favorite recipes that is so easy, I guarantee ANYONE can do it.  The best part?  It’s a great gift…I promise it is.

Also?  You need not turn on your oven.

First…take two cookie sheets and put them in the REFRIGERATOR.  Don’t forget this step, it’s of upmost importance.

Do you have a double boiler? ( if you do not have one, that’s okay, I went without for YEARS and just used a regular saucepan with boiling water in it and a heat-safe bowl on top.  It gets super hot, so be careful.

This is what a double boiler looks like:

You’ll also need the following:

Specifically, you’ll need-

16 oz (2 boxes) of Semi-sweet bakers chocolate
Peppermint extract (NOT mint, okay?)
2 sleeves of ritz crackers
some holiday sprinkles, of course!

Friends, what we are basically making is a nice little replica of thin mints…it’s not exact but they are very good.  (some people say they are better, but I disagree and I am an expert.)

A cookie.  Made with Ritz crackers.  Can you believe it?

Begin boiling your water.

Cut up your chocolate, I cut each half in half

Once your water is boiling and your ingredients are ready (I believe in totally prepping before beginning the baking/cooking process, you should, too.)  add your bowl or top saucepan to the boiling pan of water.  I turn the heat down to medium.

Add the chocolate, stirring often.  Once the chocolate is completely melted, add 1/2 tsp of  peppermint (NOT MINT) extract.  Stir thoroughly.

Use a fork to dip the crackers into the chocolate, scraping the bottom of the fork against the rim of the pan/bowl.

I also try to keep the flat side of the crackers as the top of the cookie but that’s just me, I prefer the way it looks.

Place on cookie sheet.  If you do not put your cookie sheets in the refrigerator, your chocolate will pool up and your cookies won’t look as pretty, so keep em’ cold.   If you do not use wax paper, your chocolate will adhere to the cookie sheet and you will not be able to get them off of the sheet without breaking them.  I know this because I’ve done this.  This is also known as FAILURE.

You should stir your mixture up nicely after every sixth cookie or so.  K?

If you have a broken Ritz, do not use it, just cover it with Cheese Whiz and pop it in your mouth.  The last thing you want are crumbs in your chocolate mixture.

I do not decorate all of the cookies because some people prefer non-decorated cookies but if you do decorate them, this is the time to do it, while the chocolate is still nice and melty.

Have your sprinkles ready.  That’s important.

Once you have filled up the cookie sheet, place back in refrigerator.  Take out other sheet and fill up that bad boy with more of the ritzy, chocolate, peppermint (NOT MINT) goodness.

Once the chocolate is all used up…you’re done.  That’s it.  Place the cookies in the refrigerator for approximately 30-45 minutes.

Remove and place in muffin papers and place in cookie tins.    I was able to fill up six muffins liners, five cookies high and then filled up the other side of the cookie tin with Dove chocolate.

Who wouldn’t love this gift?

*if you use mint extract and not peppermint extract, your cookies will taste like toothpaste and that is disgusting.*