Homemade Peppermint Patties to Celebrate Spring

The peppermint is up in our garden, and I have been using it for a number of recipes. However, I'm afraid the poor plants don't have a lot of leaves to spare just yet. So, to still enjoy that fresh burst of flavor, but without stripping the peppermint plants of all their leaves... here's a recipe (or rather, more of a how-to) for making your own peppermint patties with peppermint oil, while still avoiding chocolate and sugar! It's easy too.

The idea was inspired by the recipe on Elana's Pantry.

Peppermint Patties

For the "chocolate" coating, use equal parts of:

• coconut oil (melted)
• lightly roasted carob 

I used about a Tbsp of each, just to make a small batch (I believe I made only 4 patties). Mix together and set aside.

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup (?) unsweetened coconut (processed in coffee grinder)
• 2 Tbsp (?) raw honey (It tends to be thicker than heated honey)
• a couple drops of peppermint oil (to taste)

Mix the filling ingredients together (I used my hands) until fully blended. The resulting paste should be thick enough to roll into small balls, and then flatten into patties. Put in freezer to make them firm. This also helps for making the coating cool on them right away. Then dip/coat in carob mixture and put in freezer on waxed paper-lined trays. They may need a second coat.

Enjoy!

An Epiphany: Raw Vegan Hot Fudge Brownie

Happy Epiphany! Today is the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and the day we western Christians (who follow the historic Church Year) commemorate Epiphany, the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child. Since "Epiphany" comes from the Greek word for "appearance" or manifestation, this day celebrates God's appearance (in the Person of Christ) to the Gentiles (non-Jews), including in this case the Magi.

In other countries, there have historically been special celebrations and traditions that surround this day. Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" or "As You Like It" was written to be performed at this time. Food, of course, is also a major player in such celebrations. In France, they celebrate with a special cake; in Spain, with a sweet bread; in India, a sweet rice pudding.

So, for a log house in the northwoods (in my case), how about a clone to a hot fudge brownie... maybe with some coconut creme? It's even good for you! ;) There's no chocolate, no sugar, no flour... and believe it or not, it's delicious!

This is more of a prescription than a recipe, but here goes:

Raw Vegan Hot Fudge Brownie with Coconut Cream
[This serves 1]

1-2 Tbsp Roasted (okay, so it's not completely raw) carob powder
1-2 Tbsp (same amount as carob) virgin coconut oil, liquified
2-3 Tbsp almond flour (almonds ground in coffee grinder)
1/8- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Coconut milk/cream (refrigerated, so it's nice and thick)

Slightly warm coconut oil to liquify. Meanwhile, spoon carob into a small dish. Pour coconut oil over it and stir. Mix in vanilla. Add almond flour as desired, to form a thick dough, yet just a bit "fudgey." Top with a dollop of coconut cream right out of the fridge. Enjoy!