We’ve got chewy chocolate cookies sandwiching a peppermint vanilla coconut creme filling. Yup. Oh right—then all the cookies are dipped in chocolate, making them double chocolate. Can life get any better? Well, yeah, because these are also really good for you and easy to make. Okay, now life can’t get any better. Unless you throw in a bowl of banana ice cream (but that is a constant truth). —EvE
SERVES 10 TO 12
COOKIES
⅔ cup (112 g) almonds
⅔ cup (75 g) Brazil nuts
1 cup (170 g) dates
3 tbsp (21 g) carob powder
Pinch of sea salt
1–3 tbsp (15–45 ml) water, if needed
VANILLA CREME
1 cup (80 g) coconut chips
1 cup (75 g) coconut shreds
2 tbsp (22 g) almond butter
2 tbsp (30 ml) melted coconut oil
½ tsp vanilla powder
1–3 drops of peppermint essential oil, as desired
DARK CHOCOLATE
½ cup (160 g) coconut nectar or date paste
¾ cup (82 g) cacao powder or carob powder
⅓ cup (80 g) coconut oil or cacao butter, melted
FOR THE COOKIES
Grind the nuts into flour in a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the water) to the nut flour in a food processor and process until it all sticks together in a ball. If it’s still too crumbly after a few minutes, add a little water. I did this, and suddenly my very dry mixture became the perfect cookie dough consistency! Roll this dough out between two pieces of parchment paper, and then cut out cookies with a cookie cutter. Put them in the freezer until they are solid and can be handled without falling apart. If you have any extra dough, make a giant “ugly” cookie and sprinkle it with some sea salt. No dough left behind.
FOR THE VANILLA CREME
Blend all the ingredients together in a high-speed blender, adding the peppermint oil to taste (it’s very potent!). If your blender isn’t powerful enough to blend everything into a thick, coconut butter–like mixture, then add some more coconut oil and perhaps a liquid sweetener, or some dates and water.
Sandwich the vanilla creme with cookies, making little dollops on each cookie and then gently pressing down another cookie on top. Throw them in the freezer for another 30 minutes or until they are solid and very cold.
FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE
Whisk all the ingredients until smooth and ridiculously delicious. Then pour the chocolate into a tall, narrow bowl and dip in your frozen cookies. You will have to have 2 to 3 rounds of dipping, letting the chocolate on the cookies harden in the fridge or freezer after each time.
Note: If you want the cookies to be darker, add more carob powder; if you want the creme to be whiter, try omitting the nut butter and adding more coconut oil or maple syrup.
Use oat flour, buckwheat flour or any nuts instead of almonds or Brazil nuts; use cacao or cocoa powder instead of carob; use vanilla extract instead of powder; salt is always optional; use more coconut shreds instead of coconut chips; use any nut butter instead of almond; use date paste instead of coconut oil; use peppermint leaves instead of essential oil.