If you give a mouse a cookie

So yesterday during her "naptime", I hear Hadleigh squealing in her room "Don't tickle me, don't tickle me" with a real sense of delighted panic (like when she's playing with Nathanael or her Daddy). She was really noisy, so I went inside to tell her to be a little more quiet. She told me "He's tickling me." When I asked her who, she said "The mouse." And pointed to the cover of her well-loved copy of If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. I keep smiling when I think of that conversation yesterday...the imagination of a child is such an incredible thing!

So in honor of Hadleigh's imaginary animal-friend, I thought a cookie recipe would be fitting for today!

And since we ran out of our stash of Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies last week, I plan on trying this recipe soon. I found it in the 2002 Cooking Light Annual Recipes and the woman who submitted it claims these taste just like Thin Mints...I'm hopeful!

Chocolate-Mint Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons butter, softened
3 Tablespoons applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
2. Combine brown sugar and next five ingredients in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed for two minutes. Beat in egg white. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until well-blended.
3. Coat hands lightly with cooking spray. Shape dough into a 6-inch log. Wrap log in plasstic wrap and feeze one hour or until firm.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Cut log into 24 (1/4-inch) slices, and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

Yields: 2 dozen