Baking Day

I got in the baking mood today and tried a couple new recipes. They both turned out really good so I'll share them with you.

CHOCOLATE MINT COOKIES

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp water

1 package semisweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 1/2 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

bag of Andes mints

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter, sugar, and water. Add chocolate chips and stir until mostly melted. Pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 10-12 minutes. Mix on high speed, beat in eggs. Reduce speed and add dry ingredients. Mix until well blended. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray baking sheets with no-stick spray. Roll dough into teaspoon size balls. (I made mine a little larger). Place on cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes, no longer. Immediately place half of an Andes mint on each hot cookie. Allow the mint to soften then swirl with a butter knife.

I had bought these peppermint Andes mints, so I used them instead of the usual green mints. They turned out very yummy! Very festive looking!

HERB CHEESE BREAD

1 1/3 cup warm water

2 tbsp butter,softened

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp sugar

1 tsp Italian seasoning

3 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 package active dry yeast

2/3 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan

In a bread machine, place the first 8 ingredients. Select the dough setting. Just before the final kneading cycle, add the cheeses. I had to add a little bit of water to the dough too.

When the dough cycle is complete, turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times. Place in a large greased loaf pan. Or 2 small loaf pans. ( I actually use a small roaster because with 6 people in the family, we need a large loaf!) Allow to rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees.

To be honest, I'm not sure how long I baked it for. I just kept an eye on it and when it had browned nicely I removed it from the oven. I always rub butter over the top of my bread when it's hot to make a nice shiny, golden appearance.