Gluten-free Thin Mints

Ok, if you miss Samoas, I know you miss Thin Mints.  Who can resist a sleeve of Thin Mints straight from the freezer?  (Did she say a whole sleeve?  Um, yes....easily.) 

These are...amazing.  They are everything you remember about Thin Mints: crispy when straight from the freezer, the perfect blend of mint and chocolate, and really, really addictive.  Despite possibly seeming complicated to make (because of what we imagine to be the mysterious veil of secrets shrouding Girl Scout Cookies), they're actually kind of a breeze.  They're really no harder to make than any other cookie.  And there will be no judgment from me if they are all gone within hours of being made - I promise. 

Gluten-free Thin Mints (Adapted from this recipe from Seattle Weekly)
Makes 4 dozen cookies

1 stick (1/2 cup) Fleishmann's Unsalted Margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup pure cocoa powder
1 - 2 tbsp. sweet rice flour for dusting (or regular rice flour)

For chocolate coating:
1 cup Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Mint UFOs OR 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips + 1/4 tsp. mint extract
1 tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread

This dough will chill in the fridge for a few hours, so don't preheat the oven yet!

Cream the margarine and sugar together with an electric mixer.  Add the egg and beat well.  Add the mint extract and continue to beat. 

In a separate bowl, measure out the flours and whisk together with the salt and cocoa powder.  Add little by little to the butter-sugar-egg mixture, beating with the electric mixer until very well-mixed.  Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour, longer if possible.

When you're ready to make them, preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and put your 1 - 2 tbsp. sweet rice flour into a small bowl.  Scoop out the cookie dough by teaspoonful and roll into a ball with your hands.  Place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.  Dip a wide, flat spoon into the sweet rice flour to coat it and then use the spoon to flatten each little ball of dough into a rough circle.  Bake for 12 minutes (or until ever-so-slightly puffed up and set) and then remove.  Leave on the hot baking sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

In a small sauce pan or double boiler, place the chocolate and buttery spread.  Melt them together over very low heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning.  When they are melted, remove from heat.  Dip each of the cooled cookies into the chocolate mixture and coat completely with chocolate (you may need more chocolate than this depending on how well-coated you make them).  Remove from pan with two forks, using one to hold up the cookie and the other to scrape of any excess chocolate.  Place on waxed paper and place in the refrigerator or freezer to cool completely. 

I personally like to keep Thin Mints in the freezer, but you can store these in the fridge as well.