It’s that time of year when the girls in the green uniforms wave that colorful cookie form in front of my face and taunt me with, well…cookies. Not just any cookies…those thin chocolate minty cookies. Yum.
Last year we bought cookies from the daughter of a friend. I know I can’t eat them. But, my son or husband could eat them…or take them to the office…or school…or something. Nothing like that happened.
No more cookies for us. Unless…the girls in green offer them gluten-free and vegan. *Sigh* Maybe someday.
Until then we’ll eat these Chocolate Peppermint Cookies and pretend we bought them.
These turned out very (let me emphasize that…very) chocolatey and just the right amount of minty.
And, they’re hearts! For Valentine’s Day!
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Cookies
10 tablespoons Earth Balance, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Ener-G egg replacer
2 tablespoons warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons rice milk or prepared coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup rice flour blend*
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together the egg replacer and 2 tablespoons warm water.
Beat shortening, sugar, mixed egg replacer, milk/coffee, and vanilla in a stand mixer until creamy.
Mix flours, xanthan gum, salt and cocoa in a separate medium sized bowl. Stir together with a wire whisk until they are thoroughly mixed and there are no lumps.
Put the mixer on low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Scrape the sides from time to time. Beat for a few minutes until all the ingredients are combined.
The dough will be very stiff.
Refrigerate the dough for about an hour. Split the dough in half and make each half into a round disk. Place one between two sheets of parchment and roll out to a thin (about 1/8” or so) sheet. Cut the cookies using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter…if you have one. Any shape will work!
Place onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet about an inch apart.
Repeat with the other piece of dough.
Bake for 12-15 minutes–keeping an eye on them so they don’t over bake. Remove from the oven and let sit for a minute or two. Remove to a wire rack and cool. Makes about 2 dozen small cookies.
Chocolate Peppermint Coating
1 ½ cups chocolate chips
¾ teaspoon peppermint
1 ½ teaspoon canola oil
This works best in batches so start with 1/3 the chocolate chips (1/2 cup). Place in a microwave bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and ½ teaspoon canola oil and stir together.
Quickly dip the top of each cookie in the chocolate mixture. Use a small fork to lift up one end, grab the cookie, and swirl as you lift. Place chocolate side up on a parchment lined dish. Fill the dish and pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to set.
Repeat with the remaining chocolate coating and cookies. These store well in the freezer.
*I used Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Flour which has xanthan gum as an ingredient. If you use another flour blend be sure it has xanthan gum in it or increase the xanthan gum in the recipe in proportion to the amount of flour you’re substituting (about 1/4 to 1/3 teaspoon xanthan per cup of flour).