Acorn Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine and sift all-purpose flour, Laura Secord Hot Chocolate Mix,cornstarch, milk powder and salt (if using unsalted butter). Set aside for later.
3. In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter.
4. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl of the stand mixer.
5. Mix until combined with a paddle attachment.
6. When the mixture becomes slightly fluffy, add in one lightly beaten egg, milk and vanilla extract.
7. Continue to mix at medium low-medium until just combined.
8. Stop the mixer and gradually add in the flour mixture that we set aside earlier.
9. Continue to mix on low speed and gradually add in the remaining flour mixture.
10. Mix until everything is combined.
11. Stop the mixer and remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
12. Add extra flour if the dough is sticky. Don’t add too much but just until they are no more sticky. Add a little bit at a time.
13. Add in the chopped walnuts and mix with a spatula until the walnuts combine with the dough.
14. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat.
15. Dust some flour on your work surface.
16. Roll out the dough to about ⅛” and use a bottle cap to cut. We want a slightly larger cookie button than the bottom of the Hershey’s chocolate.
17. Repeat with the remaining dough.
18. Bake them at 320 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly brown on the edges and bottom. All ovens work differently. Please adjust the temperature, time, and setting accordingly. Add more or reduce baking time if necessary.
19. Remove the cookies and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
20. While waiting for the cookies to cool, prepare to melt some of the mini chocolate chips. Don’t melt a lot or all at once; half of it will do to start. You can always add more and melt more if needed. This will be your edible adhesive for the cookies later. The remaining chocolate chips you will use as an acorn top. Feel free to use more mini mint chocolate chips if needed.
21. Unwrap the Hershey’s chocolates and set the chocolates aside.
22. With a teaspoon, toothpick, or anything small you can think of, apply some melted mini mint chocolate chips on the bottom of the cookie.
23. Place the cookie (bottom side down) on the bottom of the Hershey’s chocolate as shown in the video.
24. Set this aside (cookie side down) on a cooling rack. Repeat the same process.
25. After a few minutes, check to see if the chocolate adhesive is set. If so, continue to the next step below.
26. You might need to reheat or melt the chocolate chips again. You can use a microwave or double boiler to melt the chocolate. We used a double boiler. Feel free to use your own melting chocolate method.
27. Now, take one mini mint chocolate chip and dip the bottom (or dap with toothpick) in melted chocolate as an edible adhesive.
28. Stick the mini mint chocolate chip on top of the cookie, as shown in the video tutorial.
29. Place the cookie on a cooling rack and repeat the same process again.
30. Let the cookies set before storing them in an airtight container.