• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 12 well mini muffin tins or spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 8 tablespoons unsalted butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar until well-combined, about 1-2 minutes.
• Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
• Stop the mixer and add the 1½ cups all-purpose, ½ cup cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon baking powderr. Mix until everything is fully combined and the dough is uniform in color.
• Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the dough into each muffin tin well, pressing it up the sides and creating an indentation in the center.
• Bake for about 10-11 minutes or until the dough is just set.

Make the Ganache

• Heat the ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream in a microwave-proof bowl for about 45 seconds. Add the ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips {or milk chocolate if you prefer sweeter} to the hot cream and let sit for about a minute. {If you're adding extracts or liqueur, you may do so at this point.}
• Whisk until smooth and fully melted. Spoon the ganache mixture into a zip top bag -- you'll use this to pipe the filling into each cookie cup. You can also just spoon it in.
• Remove the cookie cups from oven. If the centers have puffed up, use the back of a tablespoon to press down the center again while it's still warm. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes.
• When you're ready to pipe in the filling, snip one corner of the zip top bag and squeeze the ganache into each cup, dividing evenly among all 24.
• Top each cup with a strawberry slices or desired topping and garnish with mint leaf if desired.