These cookies couldn’t be simpler to make. If you like the traditional Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies and don’t believe it is fair to have to wait till February every year to get your fix, you will love these easy four ingredient crunchy treats. These cookies are so good, I still remember the first time I ever ate them. It was about twenty-five years ago close to Christmas  and I was working the evening shift assigned to the northeast rural zone of our county.  A good police officer always answers the “who, what, when, where, why and how” of an incident but in this case, the only thing I remember is the where and that “where” was a home in Portage des Sioux, Missouri. I don’t remember why I was at this particular home, but what I have never forgotten is the lady of the house had just finished making Christmas cookies and invited me to try one of her mint cookies. When I bit into the cookie, I couldn’t believe she had made these cookies and they hadn’t come from the cellophane sleeve from the Girl Scout Cookie pack. When I expressed my delight in these cookies, she generously wrote down the simple recipe. Of course, I no longer have that recipe, but I have made these cookies numerous times over the years.

Super Simple Thin Mint Cookies

Makes 4-5 dozen

Two sleeves Ritz crackers
One 20 oz. bar Chocolate Almond Bark
1 Tablespoon shortening
3/4 to 1 tsp. Peppermint Extract
optional, candy sprinkles

Directions:

Melt chocolate almond bark along with the tablespoon of shortening in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. When the bark is completely melted, add the peppermint extract and stir well. Reduce the heat to low, dip individual crackers into the chocolate, covering both sides. I used metal tongs to dip my crackers and they worked fairly well, but occasionally left tong marks on the cookies. After dipping the cracker in the chocolate, let the excess drip off. Place the cookies on wax paper to dry and sprinkle with candy sprinkles if desired. Be sure and stir the chocolate often so that it is not scorching in the bottom of the pot.