DIY Thin Mints

I was once a girl guide. Then my friend and I turned 12, got too cool and peaced. I was never a cookie selling champion but I could sure put them away. Thin mints are my favourite and I was psyched to see various successful attempts at recreation. I am using the recipe from Baking Bites, also featured on The Crepes of Wrath.

Thin Mints
from Baking Bites (my notes in italics)

Homemade Thin Mints
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp peppermint extract (could be upped to 1 tsp)

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches (or about 4 cm) in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick - if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp (seriously, focus on your cutting, you also want them to be flat and all approximately the same thickness)- and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies will not spread very much, so you can put them quite close together.

Bake for 13-15 minutes (err on the less crispy side if you want them to taste authentic/max delicious), until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Coating (2 logs, 2 rounds of baking-first round I went with nice quality dark chocolate, but found them a bit too intense. Round two I started with straight up milk chocolate with 30%cacao, but though the taste was awesome, the melting quality was not so great and they coated the cookies a little gloopily. So I went for a 2/3 milk chocolate, 1/3 dark chocolate, no butter mixture which worked out great)
10-oz dark or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Melt on high power in the microwave, stirring every 45-60 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Chocolate should have a consistency somewhere between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating.
Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.
Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into. (This part gets messy/awesome)

Makes 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies. Store them in the fridge or freezer if you like them extra crispy.