Dark Chocolate Andes Cookie Cups

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. If you are not using a non-stick pan, it’s best to grease the mini muffin pan.
2. Beat butter on medium speed until soft. For this recipe, you can use cold butter, it does not need to be at room temperature. You may have to stop the mixer and scrape it down a couple times.
3. Add light brown sugar and sugar to butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and peppermint extracts and continue to beat on medium speed until eggs are dissolved into sugar.
4. Pour pudding mix and cocoa powder into eggs and sugar. Beat on low until all ingredients are incorporated.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add flour to batter and continue to beat on low speed. Dough will start to form and become very thick.
6. Once all the flour has been added, pour in milk and increase to medium speed until milk is dissolved in the batter.
7. Unwrap Andes mints. Cut with a sharp knife into small pieces. Add crushed Andes into dough.
8. Spoon approximately two tablespoons of dough into a mini muffin pan. Bake at 350° F for 14-16 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and allow to set for 5-10 minutes. Use a tart shaper, wrap the end in wax paper and gently press into the center of the cookie to form a cup.
10. Allow cookies to set for another 10 minutes before removing from muffin tin. Allow to cool completely.

For the ganache

1. Combine dark chocolate chips and heavy cream in a heatproof bowl. Fill a pot with about 1 inch of water, and heat on medium heat. Place heatproof bowl on top of simmering water.
2. Allow chocolate to melt slightly and begin to whisk until heavy cream and melted chocolate are well mixed. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. Spoon ganache into cooled cookie cups.
4. Unwrap Andes mints. Cut with a sharp knife into small pieces and sprinkle on top of ganache.
5. Allow the ganache to set for an hour or more.