At Home: Thin Mints

This next installment of What Micky Eats...At Home features another "pinspired" recipe I stumbled upon while perusing the many food blogs out there.  These Homemade Thin Mints caught my eye because 1) I love chocolate 2) it was No Bake 3) it was vegan and 4) I totally missed out on buying Girl Scout Cookies this year and was craving these delightful minty wafers!




Photo: Averie Cooks

Homemade Thin Mints (adapted from Averie Cooks; makes about 1½ dozen cookies)

• 18 Ritz crackers 
• 1 cup melting chocolate wafers or chips
• 3/4 teasp peppermint extract*

*Note: Mint extract is much, much more potent than vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon of mint extract has an extreme amount of potency compared with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. You cannot un-do mint once added so be very, very careful to not over-do it and end up with a bottle of Listerine-tasting food. There are different kinds of mint extracts available and are labeled as “mint, “peppermint”, “spearmint” and more. For this recipe I used “peppermint extract”. Select the version of “mint” you think sounds best as not all types are available in all areas.

- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or wax paper; set aside.

- Clear out a spot in your refrigerator or freezer to accommodate baking sheet.
- In a shallow microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate for 1 minute on high power to melt.
- Stir and heat in 10 to 15 second bursts until chocolate can be stirred very smooth.
- To the melted chocolate add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and stir. If you prefer it mintier, add another 1/4 teaspoon.
- Add 1 cracker to the chocolate, coat it, and remove it by lightly scooping it up from the underside with a fork, allowing excess chocolate to drain off through fork tines.
- Place cracker on parchment and repeat with all remaining crackers.
- If necessary, re-heat the chocolate in 10 to 15 second bursts if it starts getting too firm for smooth dipping.
- After all crackers have been dipped, place baking sheet in refrigerator.
- Store extra Thin Mints in an airtight container in the refrigerator for many weeks, or in the freezer, up 6 months.

Photo: Chicagoist.com

Who knew that Ritz Crackers were vegan?! They are the perfect shape and the exact same texture as the original wafers, making this recipe SUPER EASY.  I used Light Cocoa Wilton Candy Melts that I had leftover, instead of chocolate chips. Wilton makes them in Chocolate Mint flavor too, which I have never had before but imagine if they are minty enough, you could omit the peppermint extract. If you use regular chocolate chips, consider adding a teaspoon of shortening to help keep the chocolate smooth for dipping.  This recipe is dangerous because I could easily pop a dozen of these Thin Mints in my mouth without thinking.  My plan is to store them in the freezer at all times, that way they are not out in plain sight and Keith won’t be able to eat them all and we can enjoy them for a while longer. ;)

If you are more adventurous, check out this recipe for homemade thin mints that actually makes the chocolate wafer, instead of using the cheater cracker method above.