Shelly's Recipe

RITZ CRACKER THIN MINT COOKIES

Category: Cookies

12 oz of chocolate almond bark (about 6 squares)
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1-1/2 sleeves of Ritz crackers
Finely crushed peppermints, sanding sugars, sprinkles
or other cookie decorations, optional

Line 2 or 3 sheet pans with wax paper and place into the freezer.

Break up the chocolate to just a rough chop and place into the top of a double boiler - or use a saucepan filled with just about an inch of water, and place a glass bowl on top of the saucepan as a substitute. The water should not touch the bottom of the glass bowl. A little condensation can ruin chocolate!

Melt the chocolate, stirring regularly, until smooth. Quickly stir in the peppermint extract and mix well to fully incorporate. Hold the chocolate over a low simmer and give it a stir occasionally.

Remove one pan from the freezer. Drop a cracker into the melted chocolate with the top side up and using a pair of tongs or a dipping tool, swish the cracker around in the chocolate, then turn it over and swish it around again. Hold the cracker up and tap the tongs on the side of the pot, allowing the excess chocolate to drip back into the pot. Transfer the cookie to the wax paper, top side down, and sprinkle on any decorations, while they are wet. This is where another helper comes in handy.

When ready to move on to the next sheet, retrieve the other pan from the freezer and continue the process. If you don't have a third sheetcake pan - by the time you'll need it, the first set of cookies should be fairly set. Just slide the wax paper off of the first pan, cookies and all, add another sheet of wax paper and stick the pan in the freezer when you start on the second pan.

Let cookies set completely and transfer to a closed container for storing.