These are freakin’ delicious. Like, ridiculous. I almost made myself sick because I couldn’t stop eating them. Could have also been because I licked some of the drizzled chocolate off the board…hmmm. Plus they are gluten free, dairy free and lower in sugar than the cookie they’re impersonating.

Not being able to stop eating them is pretty much what happens when I eat the store bought version of these, the good old Mint Slice. With it’s biscuity base, creamy mint centre and dark chocolate coating. I like to keep those in the freezer and these choc mint cookies are also excellent straight from the freezer.

But they’re also good at room temperature if you’re not into almost breaking your teeth on frozen cookie. Why not? Joking! They don’t actually get inedibly hard in the freezer, it just makes the mint cream firmer. So do it, chuck them in the freezer.

The mix of buckwheat and besan flour makes for a crisp chocolate shortbread base. Creamy peppermint coconut filling sits on top of this then the lot is enveloped in a coating of either raw chocolate or melted dark chocolate. Sounds great right? That’s because choc mint cookies are my new favourite cookie, ever. Even if they end with chocolate spilled all over my bench top because I’m crap at the whole drizzling thing. Be better than me and post your perfection (or fails) to instagram, and tag @thehealthyhunter.

Melting the wet ingredients together first was a method I picked up from reading Margaret Fulton’s cook book, I think she has a spiced cookie mixture that uses a similar method. I like the way it forms a smooth easy to work dough that’s perfect for rolling out.

If you have to go out and buy besan flour for this recipe then try this flat bread recipe too. If you end up with an open can of coconut cream in your fridge after making these then you can add it to smoothies mixed with water or use it in these cookie dough balls or this salad dressing.

Happy baking!

Ingredients

Cookie base

2 Tbs maple syrup

1 Tbs coconut or rapadura sugar

1/4 cup water

2 Tbs coconut oil

1/3 cup + 1 Tbs cacao or cocoa powder

1/2 cup besan flour

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

Peppermint and coconut  cream filling

1 cup coconut (flaked or desiccated)

1 Tbs coconut oil

1 Tbs coconut cream

1 Tbs maple syrup

Chocolate coating

EITHER: 200g dark chocolate melted over a double boiler OR

3 Tbs Coconut oil, melted

1 Tbs maple syrup

6 Tbs cacao or cocoa powder

To decorate: 2 tbs coconut flakes OPTIONAL!

Directions

Cookie base:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Sift together all dry ingredients excluding sugar. In a medium sized pot combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, water and sugar. Stir over meidum heat until dissolved. Remove from the stove and mix in, 1/3 at a time, the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon. Once roughly combined, kneed gently with your hand, in the warm pot, until the dough easily comes away from the pot edges and a smooth ball of dough has formed.

Line your counter top with some parchment paper and tip dough out on to this. Roll until it is about 3mm thick, use a small glass or 4-5cm cookie cutter to cut round discs from your dough. Place on prepared sheet pan. Recombine dough scraps roll out and repeat again until there’s no dough left. You should have approximately 18 cookies.

Bake for 5-10 minutes in your preheated oven or until firm to touch. Set aside to cool.

Peppermint and coconut cream filling:

Place coconut oil and coconut in a small food processor and process until very sticky. Add the coconut cream and maple syrup and continue to process. Add the peppermint essence. Taste, add more if you like!

Place tsp sized mound of the peppermint cream on each cookie, then press down to make a flatter, firmly packed mound. You can place in the freezer briefly to firm but the next step will still work even if you don’t bother.

Chocolate coating:

If using melted dark chocolate just pour over each cookie using a spatula to spread to the edges.  Sprinkle coconut flakes on top.

If making raw chocolate, Whisk together ingredients until a smooth thick consistency is reached. Pour over cookies using a spatula to spread to the edges if needed. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top.

Keep in the fridge  or freezer if it’s warm inside or just at room temperature.

HH. x