Vegan Chocolate Mint Cookies

Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall.  Everyone has a favorite season.  Mine used to be Girl Scout Cookie season.

Back in the day (a phrase, by the way, that sets my husband’s teeth on edge), I would order ten boxes of thin mints just for me.  The first box was gone faster than a teenager can check snapchat, and the rest of the boxes went right into the freezer so they would last forever.

Sadly, they always only lasted about a month, despite the death threats made to anyone who even looked like they were heading into the kitchen (talking to you, Tim).

I missed them horribly until I came up with this recipe.  It is simple, and fairly fast, but I do recommend you get a few special tools to help make them more easily.

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 2 cups flour (I recommend either Organic Pastry Flour or Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour. You can also use Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour, but the texture will be slightly different, and you’ll have to add a bit more oil.  DO NOT try spelt, brown rice flour, whole wheat flour etc.  Trust me.  They do NOT work.  Blech!!!)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 Tablespoons cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon chocolate extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (if you go with the paleo flour, you will need to add another 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 cup maple sugar (NOT maple syrup, and whatever you do, don’t, under any circumstances, try to substitute monkfruit.  Double Blech!!!!!)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Combine extracts, oil, milk and sugar in a medium bowl.  (make sure you add the sugar here and not with the dry ingredients.)
   

   This is what it should look like with the sugar added

3. Put the flour, baking soda and cacao powder into a sifter or mesh strainer and sift them into the wet ingredients. (If you are using the Paleo flour, don’t try to sift.  Won’t work.  Just mix and dump them in as is)
4. The ingredients won’t completely combine with a spoon, so you will eventually have to just get your hands in there and knead the dough a bit.  It should feel like play dough and look a bit shiny.

5. Using a mini scooper, form balls, then cut or break each ball into two.  Roll them between your hands, then put them onto a lined cookie sheet (I use a silpat or parchment paper) and flatten them into discs.

6  Bake 10 minutes.  Let cool on cookie sheets about 10-15 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze:

• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 6 Tablespoons cacao butter that has been grated on the large holes of a grater
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Directions:

1. In a double boiler, bring water to a simmer in the bottom part.  Put all ingredients in the top and stir constantly till the chocolate melts and the mixture is silky smooth.  Remove from heat.
2. Line cooled baking sheets with parchment or wax paper and drop the cookies, a few at a time into the chocolate.  Turn over to coat, then scoop them out, shaking off the excess chocolate and place on paper.  When the sheet is full, transfer to the fridge till the chocolate sets. I highly recommend you get a chocolate dipping tool like the one in the picture. (If not, use 2 forks)   

Enjoy!