Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Perk Up Holidays

Published by FoodTrients

Nothing says it’s holiday time like peppermint – candy canes, peppermint ice cream, and now. . .Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies. Chocolate and peppermint are a perfect pairing and will brighten up any holiday celebration.

If you’re not keen on cold treats in the winter, the chocolate cookies are delicious on their own. This recipe is from Delicious Living Magazine, which suggests that you can substitute mint chocolate chip or mocha frozen yogurt or ice cream, if you prefer. You’ll have lots of ice cream left over to enjoy with another dessert.

Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Yield: 12

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (gluten-free options such as oat flour or a gluten-free AP flour can be substituted)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 pint fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt (or ice cream of choice)
1/2 cup crushed all-natural peppermint candies, divided

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl, blend sugars and butter until fluffy. Add applesauce, vanilla extract, and egg. Once thoroughly combined, blend in flour mixture. Transfer dough to one end of a large sheet of waxed paper. Fold paper over dough; wrap completely, rolling dough into a 12-inch log. Freeze for 1–2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Unwrap dough and slice crosswise into 24 cookies. Bake 12 at a time for 10–12 minutes until firm to the touch. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
3. While cookies are cooling, remove frozen yogurt from freezer to soften. Stir in 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies. Place remaining 1/4 cup crushed candies in a shallow dish. Place 1–2 tablespoons frozen yogurt on the flat side of one cookie. Place another cookie (flat side down) on top and gently push together. Roll edges lightly in crushed candies. Repeat with remaining cookies. Wrap sandwiches individually in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, 2–4 hours.

PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 195 cal, 23% fat cal, 5g fat, 3g sat fat, 28mg chol, 3g protein, 36g carb, 3g fiber, 57mg sodium

FoodTrients

Combining her passion for food and a lifelong commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle, Grace O has created FoodTrients, a unique program for optimizing wellness. Grace O is a fusion chef with a mission: to cook up recipes for sustaining a long and joyful life that are built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her work in the health care industry. Mixing foods and unique flavors culled from a lifetime of travels from Asia to Europe and America, Grace O encourages young and old to celebrate a full life that embraces diversity. Lifestyle tips, age-defying recipes, and secrets of the healing properties of food are the centerpiece of FoodTrients-–all available through cookbooks, e-newsletters, and this website.