I added red sugar crystals for a xmas look
- Carbohydrate 349.8820328316 g
- Cholesterol 4379.685481968 mg
- Fat 239.4479358502 g
- Fiber 7.99125013411045 g
- Protein 155.4122692474 g
- Saturated Fat 77.201179168944 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (1607g)
- Sodium 5673.364573808 mg
- Sugar 341.89078269749 g
- Trans Fat 23.914833327008 g
- Calories 4170 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream sugars and butter or margarine.
- Add eggs and water.
- Beat well.
- Mix flour, baking soda and salt well.
- Add gradually to egg mixture.
- Chill dough overnight (it is important that the dough be well chilled).
- Wrap each mint completely in cookie dough.
- Place 2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets and put a nut half on top of each cookie.
- Bake 7-9 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow to cool thoroughly on wire racks.
Standard ingredient declarations fail to convey how resting sweet dough transforms structural integrity, specifically regarding how overnight refrigeration solidifies butterfat to prevent excessive lateral spreading during baking. Chilling halts flour hydration speed and limits gluten expansion, which yields a denser, more cohesive crumb capable of fully encasing a solid chocolate center without rupturing. Success depends entirely on thermal control, requiring an oven preheated to an exact 375 degrees Fahrenheit to rapidly set the exterior structure before the interior mint completely liquefies.
Multiplication or division of this formulation requires strict adherence to baker's percentages rather than linear math, especially regarding minor components like baking soda and salt. Halving yields work predictably when whole large eggs are beaten separately and divided by weight rather than volume, preventing structural imbalances that cause excessive toughness or crumbling. Double batches demand separate mixing bowls for the creaming stage to incorporate adequate air cells into the butter and sugar mixture without overloading standard household electric mixers.
Chemical reactions during the 7 to 9 minute bake time rely on precise alkaline interaction between sodium bicarbonate and the brown sugar's natural acidity to achieve browning without bitterness. Cocoa butter and peppermint oil inside the candy center melt at distinct thermal thresholds, releasing aromatic volatiles that diffuse through the surrounding starch matrix during cooling. Wire racks facilitate rapid convective air circulation beneath each round, preventing steam condensation on the base which ruins crisp textures.
Historical precedents for encased chocolate confections trace back to early twentieth-century American home baking pamphlets that utilized commercial molded candies as convenient shortcuts for labor-intensive filled pastries. Modern adaptations retain this functional utility by employing industrially pre-portioned chocolates that maintain consistent melt ratios compared to hand-chopped blocks. Proper storage in airtight containers at ambient room temperature preserves the structural crispness of the baked exterior while preventing moisture migration into the pecan halves.
