chocolate and mint and such

Do you need a new cookie recipe. Try this one... it looks fantastic!! :)
Speaking of cookies- I got some chocolate the other day- some mint chocolate, of all things- have never seen it here. At All. Yay. However- Boo- it really is just sort of lacking. The chocolate is just not... chocolate. Or something. I'll tell you one thing- we have really good chocolate around these parts. I don't think it's always been that way (although these folks have always preferred their own stuff claiming that it is much better than the Western stuff).
Let's back up. Europe has good chocolate. There is no way to deny it. I love M&M's. I love Snickers bars. I love some other American chocolate stuff. But, for the most part, our chocolate gets blown out of the water by the European stuff. I mean This is where Belgium and Switzerland are. And- well, there's a reason they've got the reputation. The first Ukrn chocolate I had here was not so hot. It was grainy and just... Well, it was 'take it or leave it' (mostly leave it). A few years ago, I discovered this stuff- Roshen. Ok, now we're talking chocolate. Really. Good. Chocolate. Wow. Drop Dead Gorgeous Chocolate. This stuff is soooooo good. It's creamy and rich and just plain smooth and delicious. Eat till you get sick Yummy!
Ok- so back to the ranch- uhh- story. I found this mint chocolate- which is a favorite combination of mine. I got it. A box of it. And it's.... 'take it or leave it' (mostly leave it). But- I have this recipe- wanna see it? 'K. :)
This is from some very good friends- brothers- and I don't remember which one actually came up with the recipe but it's a good one. Thanks for ever giving it to me a hundred years or so, Ryan! ;)

Peppermint Pattie Cookies

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 TBS milk
• 12-14 small York Peppermint Patties

Beat butter and sugar; add egg and vanilla, blending well. Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. To butter mixture alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, blending well. Refrigerate (till firm enough to handle- about an hour). Lightly grease cookie sheet. Flatten each peppermint pattie. Shape small portion of dough around a pattie, completely covering. Bake @ 350 for 10-12 min (till soft). Important- Do NOT overbake- these are best quite soft. Cool 1 min; remove from pan to wire rack to finish cooling (although they are best while still warm)! And- this dough is very sticky so be ready to get messy hands. 

So- the deal? While the stuff I have out in the kitchen is a LONG ways from York Peppermint Patties (drool- now there's something worth importing!) I'm going to try making these cookies with that stuff... and we'll see how it goes.