Snowy Mint Chocolate Mounds

Thanks to naturally sweet spelt flour, these cookies have a deep chocolate flavor that pairs well with icy mint. The low-gluten flour also results in a texture reminiscent of cakey brownies. Butterless and not too sugary, these cookies are welcome in the season of excess. They taste festive all year round, though, especially when sandwiching mint chip ice cream in the summer; see the variation that follows.

makes about 3 dozen

dairy-free, no nuts

• ¾ cup (103 g) spelt flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces (85 g) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (½ cup)
• ¼ cup (56 g) grapeseed or other neutral oil
• ½ cup (104 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon pure peppermint oil or extract
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Whisk the spelt flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Melt the chocolate in a large heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the oil and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in the eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Stir in the peppermint oil. Add the dry ingredients and fold just until incorporated.

2. Transfer the dough to an airtight container or a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

3. When ready to bake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4. Using a 1½-teaspoon (1¼-inch) cookie scoop or a teaspoon measure, drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto one of the prepared pans, spacing them 1½ inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are just set, 8 to 10 minutes. The tops will look dry and the edges a slightly darker shade; don’t overbake. While the first batch bakes, drop the remaining dough on the second sheet. Bake after the first sheet comes out.

6. Cool completely on the sheet on a wire rack. Dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar before serving, if you’d like. Or, to create stars or other shapes on top, cut out a stencil slightly smaller than the cookies from a small piece of parchment paper. Set it over each cookie, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and lift off.

MAKE AHEAD

The dough will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. The cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. The ice cream sandwiches will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Snowy Mint Chocolate Mounds

Mint Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

Skip the dusting step and sandwich mint chip ice cream between pairs of cookies.