sweet miscellany

I have to be honest and say that I was not a fan of the chocolate and mint combo until last year around this time. It used to be at the bottom of the list right along with lemon-flavored things and glazed doughnuts. I never understood why thin mints were so popular when you could eat a damn peanut butter patty (helloooo, chocolate + peanut butter!!). I’m not sure what changed, but last year I could not get enough chocolate + mint all of the sudden. I would finish a dark chocolate peppermint bar and wonder what the heck had become of me. If I had been able to get a vegan peppermint mocha somewhere, I probably would have been on that bandwagon, too.

Since regular peppermint patties are not exactly healthy, vegan, or even made from real ingredients, I wanted to see if I could create my own version and make it taste even better. After the first bite (and then the second, third, etc.), I think I can say with certainty that I succeeded. The key to these is using a good quality vegan dark chocolate and a culinary grade peppermint essential oil instead of peppermint extract. You can of course use an extract, but I feel like the essential oil provides a much better minty flavor and brightness.

These are being posted as part of cookie month, but the awesome thing is that they are no-bake! All you need is a food processor. These are perfect for a party of for having around for munching on during the holidays. They are reminiscent of both a peppermint patty and a thin mint, but waaaaaayyy better in my opinion. If you are worried about the fact that they have coconut in them, don’t. It’s not a pronounced flavor in the finished product. If you aren’t yet a fan of chocolate and mint, I would recommend upping the vanilla extract and leaving out the mint, or replacing it with something else you like. Happy baking (or in this case no-baking)!
…

For some reason I just can’t get into the so-called Christmas spirit. Anybody else out there feeling the same way? I got out my sparse collection of decorations at the beginning of this week and they are still in the same spot, unmoved and collecting dust at this point. I’ve been trying to think about why this is and I’ve settled on a combination of it not feeling like Christmas (it was 80 and humid today… blech) and not having found a routine or sense of normalcy that I mentioned in the last post.

I’m thinking that perhaps I can get into the holiday spirit by just cultivating positivity and genuine happiness and thoughtfulness with those around me. I found myself doing it at work today, going the extra mile to try to make someone’s day even if it meant making them a breakfast taco 15 minutes after we stopped serving them. It didn’t put me out any, but it seemed to make that person really happy. And in turn, it made me happy.

So now for the cookies. All you really need to know is these are simple and taste like freakin’ Christmas. They are vegan and gluten free of course, but they are also grain free depending on the type of powdered sugar you use. I think these are perfect for a party or for something sweet to munch on while you watch Christmas Vacation for the eleventy-billionth time while reciting the lines word for word. The only word of caution I will provide is that these are slightly messy to eat if you aren’t careful. Though I suppose spots of powdered sugar on your shirt could maybe be considered edible Christmas decor…

Candied Ginger Snowballs

As mentioned above, to make these grain free use either a whole cane powered sugar or one made with tapioca or arrowroot starch as opposed to corn starch. If you are a ginger fiend, you can up the amount of candied ginger, or vice versa if you just want a smidge.

150g almond flour

30g arrowroot flour

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

heaped tbsp minced candied ginger

30g coconut oil, melted

65g agave nectar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsbp flaxmeal

powdered sugar to coat (I used about half a cup)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, then mix in the candied ginger. In a separate small bowl, combine the wet ingredients and flaxmeal. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes to thicken, then add it to the dry ingredients. Stir until a relatively stiff dough forms and all of the wet ingredients have been fully incorporated into the dry.

Using a small cookie scoop, take level scoops of the dough, roll them into balls, then place them on your baking sheet at least 1 1/2 inches apart. Once you have used up all of the dough, place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 5 minutes to firm up the dough (this helps the cookies keep a rounded shape).

Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes until they are golden and firm. Cool the cookies completely. Once they are cooled toss them in the powdered sugar until they are coated evenly. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 20 small cookies.