Averie Cooks

-1 To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer), add the butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, 2 to 3 minutes.
-1 Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, milk, rum extract, spearmint extract, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.
-1 Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute or less.
-1 Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, form approximately 16 uniformly-sized cookie dough balls, place on a large plate or platter, cover with plasticwrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 days before baking.
-1 Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat or spray with cooking spray.  Place the dough balls on the baking sheet, spaced evenly apart. I recommend baking 8 cookies per sheet.
-1 Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until pale golden and edges have just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center. Cookies will firm up as they cool. The cookies in the photos were baked for exactly 11 minutes and have chewy edges with super soft pillowy centers. For firmer cookies, extend baking time by 1 to 3 minutes. Start checking at 9 minutes since all ovens, exact size of dough balls, and preference for doneness will vary.
-1 Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing.
-1 While cooling, garnish with lime zest and mint to taste. Garnished cookies should be eaten within a few hours because the lime zest and mint will start to discolor within a few hours.