Andrea Bemis’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Have This One Secret Ingredient

Baking is where farmer-to-cook and author of Dishing Up the Dirt Andrea Bemis unwinds. “The farm is my office, but the kitchen is my happy place,” says Andrea. With days consumed working the land, cooking up farm-to-table dishes, and writing on her site, Andrea shares with us her favorite farm-fresh hack to flavoring chocolate chip cookies.

The first time I infused a stick of butter with a handful of fresh herbs my life changed. There is just something so fresh and unique about this method of cooking butter and it works well in everything from baked goods to savory dishes. With spring finally here, one of my my absolutely favorite ways to use mint is by incorporating a taste of spring into a classic chocolate chip cookie. And while these cookies are intended to be served later in the day, if you have a hankering for something sweet in the morning, they’re also pretty great dunked into a cup of hot coffee.

Mint grows wild in most parts of the country and you can usually find it off the side of a country road near a stream in the early spring. However, growing mint in your backyard or a kitchen sink window is actually super easy. To plant in a container, dress the top layer of soil with a little compost and plant your mint in an area with lots of sun exposure.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fresh Mint

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup tightly packed, freshly chopped mint
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (heaping) chopped chocolate (whatever kind you’d like)
• Flaky sea salt for topping

Directions:

1. Add the butter and mint to a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mint is very fragrant. Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Press the mint with a spatula or the back of a spoon to release all of that butter! Add the sugars and mix on medium-low speed until creamy and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until completely combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt,  Add to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on low until just combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate, then scoop onto a sheet of plastic wrap, flatten into a disc, and chill for 1 hour.
4. Heat the oven to 350° F and line two sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, rolling each into a ball. Space 6 balls on each cookie sheet (the cookies will spread), sprinkle the tops with a pinch of sea salt and then bake for 11 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.
5. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe, courtesy of Dishing Up the Dirt.