Gluten Free: Mint Choc Cookies

It's well established that we love mint here at Domestic Sluttery, and mint with chocolate is definitely a favourite combination. The only problem with loving mint chocolate so much is that the bar of mint Aero, the After Eights and those Elizabeth Shaw thingies never last long enough for me to bake with them. If I'm going to make a mint chocolate cookie, I have to get creative.

I rather like the idea of sandwiching a minty filling between two chocolate cookies for two reasons. Firstly, you get TWO COOKIES and that's always good. Secondly, if, for some crazy reason, you don't like mint chocolate (there must be some people who don't) you can always use a different flavoured filling without having to mess about with the cookie recipe. May I suggest a coffee, or orange, filling instead?

Mint Choc Cookies (makes about 10)
You'll need:
For the cookies:

• 125g softened butter
• 225g caster sugar
• 25g liquid glucose (you'll find it in the baking aisle in the supermarket)
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 25g cocoa powder
• 195g gluten free plain flour mix
• 1 tsp baking powder (make sure it's gluten free!)
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the filling

• 150g butter
• 150g icing sugar
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• a few drops green food colouring (optional)

Make it!

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until it's pale and creamy.
3. Add the liquid glucose, egg and vanilla extract and continue beating until it's all well mixed.
4. Sieve the cocoa powder, flour mix, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and beat into the rest of the mixture. 
5. When you have a smooth, thick cookie dough roll pieces into walnut-sized balls and place on a baking tray (line it with baking paper if it's not non-stick). Space them out well because they do spread out to about double their original size.
6. Pop the cookie dough balls into the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill.
7. When chilled, put the cookies into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will still feel quite soft when they come out the oven, but they'll firm up as they cool. (Don't transfer them to a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes or they'll fall apart.)
8. Whip the butter and icing sugar together to make the filling.
9. Add the peppermint extract and food colouring (if using) and beat until you have a smooth mixture that's a solid colour, with no streaks.
10. Spoon a heaped dessert spoonful of the filling on a cookie and push another one on top to make your sandwich. Repeat for as many cookies as you have.