Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients

 * 1 cup margarine, (2 sticks)
 * 1⅓ cup sugar
 * 1 tsp peppermint, flavoring
 * ½ cup egg whites at room temperature
 * 3 cup all-purpose flour
 * ½ cup cocoa
 * 2 tsp baking powder
 * ¼ tsp salt

Directions

 * 1) Cream margarine and sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy.
 * 2) Add flavorings and egg whites, and mix at medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down bowl before and after adding flavorings and egg whites.
 * 3) Stir flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together to blend well; add to creamy mixture.
 * 4) Mix at medium speed to blend well.
 * 5) Cover and refrigerate from 3 hours to overnight.
 * 6) Return dough to room temperature.
 * 7) Roll our on a lightly floured board to ¼ thick.
 * 8) Cut with a 2½" round cutter or an equivalent cutter.
 * 9) Place on cookie sheets that have been sprayed with pan spray or lined with aluminum foil.
 * 10) Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are almost firm.
 * 11) Remove cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Note
Cookies will be soft if kept in an airtight container. If you want them crisp, freeze them or keep them in a container that isn't airtight.

Nutritional information
Food exchanges per servings: 1 starch/bread exchange + 1 fat exchange calories: 115, fat: 5g, cho: 16g, na: 98 mg, pro: 2g, cholesterol: 0