Mint Chocolate Chews

These chocolate cookies get their chew from buttermilk in the dough and their mint kick from an unexpected source: crushed peppermint Lifesaver Holes mixed right into the batter. As the cookies bake, the candy bits soften slightly but keep their crunch, creating pockets of mint throughout each bite.

The dough starts with margarine and sugar creamed with melted unsweetened chocolate and an egg. Buttermilk is the ingredient that makes these chewy instead of crispy. It adds moisture and acidity that keeps the crumb soft and dense even after cooling. Vanilla rounds everything out.

Chill the dough for at least an hour before dropping. It’s too soft to handle at room temperature, and warm dough will spread too thin on the baking sheet. Cold dough holds its shape and gives you thicker, chewier cookies.

Chopped walnuts add a toasty crunch that contrasts the soft, fudgy center. Between the nuts and the candy, every bite has something to crunch through.

Pro Tips

• Melt the chocolate gently. Unsweetened chocolate scorches easily and turns bitter.
• Chill the dough the full hour. Shortcutting this gives you flat, crispy cookies instead of thick, chewy ones.
• Drop by level tablespoonfuls for even sizing. These spread moderately.
• Pull them at 8 minutes if your oven runs hot. They should look set on top but still feel slightly soft.

Variations

• Swap peppermint Lifesavers for crushed candy canes during the holiday season.
• Use pecans instead of walnuts for a sweeter, more buttery nut flavor.
• Add ½ cup of chocolate chips alongside the mint candies for double chocolate intensity.