Mint-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

These cookies come from the September 2010 issue of Everyday Food. Crisp little chocolate mint sandwich cookies...perfect for dipping into a mug of hot cocoa.

Mine tasted like a Milano...now to work on getting them to look like a Milano.

1 1/4 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
4 oz semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract

Preheat oven to 325, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on high, scraping down bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, four minutes. Add vanilla and beat to combine. Add egg and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat just until combined.

Transfer dough to a quart-size zip-top bag. With scissors, snip a 3/4-inch hole in one corner (or use a pastry bag with a plain tip). Pipe 54 cookies (3/4 by 2 inches), 1/2 inch apart, onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. (Mine didn't pipe out so pretty, so I had to reshape them a bit by hand.) Chill until firm, 20 minutes.

Bake until cookies are light golden at edges, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer immediately to wire racks and let cool.

Place chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted, 2 minutes. Remove bowl from pan. In another medium bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar, peppermint extract, and 4 teaspoons water. With a small offset spatula or table knife, spread chocolate on flat side of half the cookies and mint glaze on the other half. Sandwich cookie halves together.