Mint Surprise Inside Cookies

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A wee little leprechaun asked for something sweet on St. Patrick’s Day and I have the perfect treat,  Mint Surprise Inside Cookies.  I have a big obsession with these cookies because they are so much fun to make and even more fun to eat.

St. Patrick’s Day Cookies

Just take a bite to find the surprise inside of these cookies!

The best part about these Surprise Inside Cookies is that you can change the colors of the sprinkles on the outside and make the surprise middle layer different colors and flavors.

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In honor of St. Patrick and my husband’s family the “Cassidy’s” I am making our favorite cookies and they will be wearin a bit of green.  These sugar cookies are rolled in green nonpareils and white nonpareils.

I have found you need to buy the white and green separately and mix them, which isn’t so bad since you really need two bottles of nonpareils.

The surprise middle layer is colored green and flavored with mint.  Lots of fun colors and flavors in this cookie and they are sure to please the most mischievous leprechaun.

Let’s start baking so we can have a pot of Irish Breakfast Tea and a plate of cookies together.

Cookie Ingredients

1. Butter
2. Shortening
3. Sugar
4. Baking powder
5. Salt
6. Eggs
7. Powdered sugar
8. Vanilla
9. AP Flour
10. Mint flavoring
11. Green food color
12. Green and White nonpareil sprinkles

How to Make the Cookie Dough

Step 1. With a mixer add the softened butter and shortening and mix together, then add the sugar, baking and the salt.

Step 2. Mix in the egg and the egg yolks on medium speed until combined.

Step 3. Mix in the flour until a soft dough forms.

Step 4. After you make the easy cookie dough batter,  measure out 3/4 cup and tint green with food coloring and add mint flavoring.  This dough will be the surprise middle layer.

How to Roll the Dough Balls

Step 5.  Measure out 1 tablespoon of the plain dough and roll into balls. You should get 25. Then measure out the mint dough with a teaspoon to get 25 balls.

Step 6. Flatten a large ball in your hand then put the green/mint ball inside the flattened dough and then fold up the dough and roll back into a ball.  Here is an important part of making these cookies.  You have to roll that just made ball into the sprinkles immediately since the butter in the dough is a bit soft, this way the sprinkles will stick to the cookie dough ball.  Make sense?

Step 7. It’s now time to bake the cookies. Heat your oven to 375 degrees F. and bake for 10 minutes.

Just checking, but do you have sprinkles all over your floor and countertop?  There is just no stopping these nonpareils from going everywhere.

Meanwhile, this is a good time to brew up a pot of tea.

Surprise Inside Mint Flavored Cookies

Lots of fun colors and flavors in this cookie and they are sure to please the most mischievous leprechaun.

Don’t forget to Pin

Tips for Making these Sweet Buttery Mint Cookies

• Have plenty of sprinkles to roll the dough balls in.
• Roll the dough balls in the palm of your hands to warm the dough, this way the sprinkles will stick better.
• This dough does not do well chilled.
• These cookies freeze well. After the cookies are baked and cooled place them in a freezer contain for one month.

Print Pin

5 from 13 votes

Mint Surprise Inside Cookies

These Mint Surprise Inside Cookies are a simple butter cookie wrapped around a minty middle layer cookie covered in green and white nonpareil sprinkles. 

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword Mint Cookies, Sprinkle Cookies, St. Patrick's Day Cookies

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 25 cookies

Calories 179kcal

Author Jere @ One Hot Oven

Equipment

• Cookie Sheets
• Parchment Paper
• Kitchen Aide Mixer
• Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 2 egg, yolks
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp. Mint flavoring
• Green food coloring
• 5 oz. or more Green and White Nonpareil Sprinkles

Instructions

Making and Rolling the Cookies

• In a large bowl mix the butter and shortening until fluffy. Then add the sugar, baking powder and salt; mix until combined
• Mix in the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla until combined, scraping sides of the bowl.
• Mix in the flour until combined, forming a soft dough.
• Remove 3/4 cup of the dough to a small bowl and add the mint flavoring and the green food color.  Note:  I just add a few drops of food color until I get the right color.  Mix well to combine

Rolling the dough balls

• Measure out 1 tablespoon of the plain dough and roll into 25 balls. Then measure out 1 teaspoon of the mint flavor dough and roll into the same amount of balls as the plain dough.
  
• Flatten the plain dough ball and place a mint flavored dough ball in the center and mold the dough around it to make a round ball.
• Immediately roll each ball roll in the nonpareil sprinkles and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat rolling and molding each ball.
• Bake for 10 - 11 minutes at 375 degrees.

Notes

For the food coloring, start by adding a drop, then add more as needed.

Measure out all the dough balls to make sure you have 25 of each.  If you have too many or not enough of one just pinch some dough off another dough ball to make 25 of each.

After you roll the two dough balls together, roll the ball in you have several times to warm up the dough to get a bit sticky and immediately roll in the nonpareils.  

If you let the dough balls sit and then roll in the nonpareils the dough won't be sticky enough.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.2g | Fat: 8.4g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 30mg

A delicious cookie for an Irish Afternoon Tea

The tea is ready and the cookies are baked and ready for our afternoon tea These cookies are also perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day dessert.

Make sure to check out my other colorful Surprise Inside Cookies~

• Red Velvet Surprise Inside Cookies for Valentine’ Day
•  Surprise Inside Easter Cookies
• Firework Surprise Inside Cookies
•  Surprise Inside Christmas Cookies
• Halloween Surprise Inside Cookies

Planning a St. Patrick’s Day Tea?

If you are planning on an Irish Tea Party don’t forget the tea. Harney & Sons Irish Breakfast Tea is my favorite. Add a Belleek Irish Blessing Cookie Plate and Belleek Cups and Saucers to your table.

I will leave you with one of my favorite blessing ~

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