Cathy and the Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies

Cathy is one of my mom’s best friends and has since become like a mother to me. In fact she is appropriately nicknamed Mom #3. Cathy owns the Village Diner down in Youngstown and is an amazing chef (if you’ve never been there before you NEED to go… especially for breakfast). Since she is such a great chef I have to admit I am a little worried about baking for her, but I couldn’t leave her off the list. Anyway, besides being such a great chef, she is an amazing mother, friend, and grandma. I know that I have turned to her countless times for advice and she has never let me down. More importantly Cathy is always there for my mom and I appreciate that more than words can express!!! Cathy likes to travel and now makes sure that my mommy does some traveling too. They have been to the Caribbean, Arizona, and Florida together and I am sure there is more traveling planned for the future. Maybe one of these times they will actually let me come too!!! Well I hope she likes these cookies but I have to explain them a little bit first. I heard through the grapevine that Cathy would like chocolatey/minty cookies so I began to search for a recipe. Unfortunately, most of the recipes were almost exactly like a batch I had made in December and I couldn’t bear to make a repeat batch. Eventually I found a recipe that was different enough but this one called for a boxed cake mix. I know what you’re thinking, because I’m thinking it too, IT’S CHEATING!!! I am making myself feel a little better by rationalizing that I am still forming the cookies and putting stuff inside of it so it’s not as much cheating. Anyway, I feel bad but not bad enough to search for another recipe. Enjoy Cathy!!!

Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies
Makes 18 Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 box devil's food cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 18 peppermint patties (the small ones)
• powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Beat together the cake mix, eggs, and oil until well combined and a sticky dough forms.
2. Place dough in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill. If you skip this step, the dough will be very hard to work with, but if you're in a hurry just make sure your hands are cold by running them under cold water after you shape each cookie.
3. Grab a golf ball sized ball of dough, roll into a ball, and flatten it into a disc. Place a peppermint patty in the center and bring the excess dough up and around the patty to cover it.
4. Repeat with remaining dough and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart from each other.
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 9 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle on powdered sugar.
7. Cool on a wire rack.