Spiked Mint Milanos

Sweet, festive, boozy - does it get any better? I don't think so! I've been itching to share these boozy little gems with you guys for weeks now. Homemade mint milanos filled with Baileys Irish cream, I can't even take it!  I'm just going to put it all out there and say these are definitely my "it" cookie of the holiday season.

Okay, I could go on and on right now about how yummy these cookies are - I mean there's baileys in the dough! We could talk about how you need to make them, and how that pop from the peppermint ganache will brighten your day.  Discuss how they make wonderful gifts - well, that is if they ever leave the house!  Instead, I'm going to zip it and let you get to baking!

Spiked Mint Milanos

Yield: 40 spiked mint milanos 

Cookie dough

• 8 ounces unsalted butter, room temp
• 1&1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups AP flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Baileys 

Peppermint Chocolate Ganache

• 6 ounces chocolate - I use semisweet
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
2. Add egg and egg yolk.
3. Mix in vanilla extract.
4. Alternate adding in dries with Baileys till combined.
5. Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate a few hours to over night.
6. Roll out dough & cut out cookies using holiday cookie cutters
7. Chill cookies at least 30 minutes before baking to keep their shape.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes rotating once halfway through. Start checking them after 10 minutes. As soon as they get a little blonde on the edges, they’re done.

Peppermint Ganache

1. Bring heavy cream up to a scald.
2. Pour over chopped chocolate and mix to combine.
3. Stir in peppermint extract.
4. Set ganache aside so it can set, stirring every so often.
5. Once ganache has thickened, fill cookies and refrigerate.
6. At this point you can leave the cookies as they are, or you can dip them in chocolate & sprinkles.

Notes:

• If you want to make the ganache ahead of time, just refrigerate it. Take it out about an hour before you'll need it to take the chill off. You can always microwave it for 10-15 second increments to get it to piping consistency.
• You can just spoon the ganache on the cookies or use a small spatula, but I prefer using a piping bag. It makes life easier.