...And Chocolate I've Made
Mango...yum!!!
But since I mentioned a few days ago about my Love of Chocolate, with Tons of Recipe Links, including my recipe link for my Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cups..
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Vegan Peppermint Patties!
Hey there, Lovers of Veggies & Yoga! I'm Diana, and I blog at Soap & Chocolate.
Averie very kindly did a guest post for me while I vacationed in Japan recently. She is the ultimate raw and vegan dessert master--did you see her raw-veganized peanut butter cups from a while back? I was so impressed by that post that I half-jokingly suggested she do the same for my favorite candy, peppermint patties. She then came up with a recipe for raw vegan chocolate-peppermint donut holes for her guest post on my blog, and I was so excited that she'd indulged my favorite flavor combo that I made them right away. Delish, obviously!When Averie mentioned that she'd be away at the holidays and would need guest posts for her own blog, I knew I wanted to return the favor. I must still have had peppermint patties on the brain, though, because I ended up making a vegan-and-healthified version for my guest post here. It was really no big deal, actually--Averie did half the work coming up with the peanut butter cup recipe!
2. Melt in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Sweeten to taste, if desired (a few teaspoons of agave would probably do it). Stir until smooth.
3. Distribute chocolate among four paper cupcake liners on a plate, coating the bottoms evenly. Transfer plate to the fridge.
4. Meanwhile, mix your filling:
5. Remove the cupcake liners from the fridge (they should have set fairly solid by now) and top each with a small blob of filling, about 1/2+ tbsp (you will have a little filling leftover, what for instant gratification and such).
6. Melt another two squares of Baker's chocolate as per Steps 1-2. Distribute melted chocolate overtop each blob of pattie-guts, covering the filling entirely.
7. Return patties to the fridge to set completely, or do like I did and freeze for 15 minutes so dessert comes sooner!
8. CHOMP.
Next time, I will probably sweeten the Baker's chocolate. I'm all about intense dark chocolate, but apparently I'm not man enough for 100% just yet! 1/2 cup chocolate chips would also work in place of Baker's chocolate as well, as Averie noted in her PB cup post.
So I'm taking a (web)page from Averie's book and presenting you with my peppermint variation on these chocolate treats, in full-on Averie style. :D
Here's how to get the sensation:
1. Unwrap two squares Baker's chocolate.
2. Melt in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Sweeten to taste, if desired (a few teaspoons of agave would probably do it). Stir until smooth.
3. Distribute chocolate among four paper cupcake liners on a plate, coating the bottoms evenly. Transfer plate to the fridge.
4. Meanwhile, mix your filling:- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp agave
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
You can do this by hand in a small bowl, but if you have a Vitamix or other high-speed blender, give it a whiz in there to get the filling smooth. I tried it in my sad-people blender and it wasn't much help, unfortunately. Oh well--more to chew on!
5. Remove the cupcake liners from the fridge (they should have set fairly solid by now) and top each with a small blob of filling, about 1/2+ tbsp (you will have a little filling leftover, what for instant gratification and such).
6. Melt another two squares of Baker's chocolate as per Steps 1-2. Distribute melted chocolate overtop each blob of pattie-guts, covering the filling entirely.
7. Return patties to the fridge to set completely, or do like I did and freeze for 15 minutes so dessert comes sooner!
8. CHOMP.
Next time, I will probably sweeten the Baker's chocolate. I'm all about intense dark chocolate, but apparently I'm not man enough for 100% just yet! 1/2 cup chocolate chips would also work in place of Baker's chocolate as well, as Averie noted in her PB cup post.I want to thank Averie for having me as her guest here--it was fun to channel her dessert skizzles! Since I'm from Brooklyn, perhaps I should have called these New York Peppermint Patties. ;) Get it?!
...And now I'll have to also thank Averie for putting up with my bad jokes...
Happy Holidays!
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Thank you soooo much, Diana, you rock, this recipe is off the hook, and I cannot thank you enough for sharing it! Muah!!!!!!
Yoga Today is Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose). Great for runners or anyone who just wants to get in for a deep quad stretch. Also, this pose is excellent for letting go of things mentally & emotionally, for relaxing, and just letting your mind release. Love this pose for that!
Today's Tip of the Day: Feeling stressed? I recently read that the physical act of lighting a candle is soothing and stress-reducing. So next time you need a little breather, go light up. No, not that kind. Candles!
And for a little extra relaxation, scented candles are awesome. Relaxing and mellowing fragrances/essential oils include:
Lavender, Jasmine, Vanilla, Ylang Ylang, Chamomile, Sandalwood, and Rose.
Here's a site I stumbled on if you want to read more about calming scents.
Stay Tuned For A Sweet Give Away...
30 comments:
NEW York Peppermint Patties = love it, haha! Awesome treat and post, Diana! :)
Very creative recipe and nice guest post.
And Averie, candles are soothing. I find that lighting candles and just watching/smelling them is slightly calming.
Those Peppermint Patties look killer Diana! Thank you for sharing! Averie, I'm a huge candle fan. My favorite candles come from this little candle shop back home. The scents are so natural and wonderful! I fully intend on stocking up before coming back to Phoenix!
ooh, yum. i should go whip one of these up... but my couch is so comfy when looking out at the snow!
I really love this post for some reason. Sunny beaches, peppermint chocolate coconut treats, yoga. Must be because those are all of my favorite things. What is that crazy jar of white spread? And is it vegan?
What a great post! I love looking at your beach photos because it's soooo cold here! With the peppermint patties.... Doesn't the paper stick to the chocolate?!
I just checked the original post about the spread. I always find it amusing to see what crazy European food is sold in the islands. Thanks for the comment!
I love the idea of scented candles for relaxation. Unfortunately, for every candle that they'd find in my dorm I'd get fined 100 bucks! Could you imagine? I think I'm happy sniffing vanilla extract and peanut butter
All this chocolate is making me hungry!
Happy Sunday Funday,
Katie
http://katiechangesforkatie.blogspot.com/2009/12/slim-secrets-bars-giveaway-extended.html
Ya know, I've never been a huge mint chocolate fan... but I go nuts for peppermint patties! Great idea to use coconut as the base.
I've been working myself up to the 100% chocolate too. So far, I'm up to 90% ;)
Looks like you're having a wonderful vacation! Those peppermint patties look amazing, I try to eat as much chocolate/peppermint as I can during the holidays:)
Yay, thanks for having me!
And to answer Kristen's question: no, the paper doesn't stick to the chocolate at all!
Your beach pics are a rather startling contrast to the blizzard we've just had, haha--thanks for giving me something less COLD to look at!
I was trying to figure out how to make those... yummy!! Thank you for the recipe! I can't wait to try!!!
Thanks ladies have a fab day (as if you aren't in Aruba!! *jealous)
My thoughts immediately went to peppermint patties when I saw your pb cups, too! I'll definitely try these. That yoga pose is my favorite pose when I go to Bikram classes. I should do it when I practice at home too.
between you and Diana, my sweet tooth is off the charts!
Hope your having a lovely day sugarpie. *hugs*
I love your jokes- I need to check out your blog stat!
Great recipe too! Thanks!
D
Great guest post Diana! Loved your take on Averie's ever so delicious Peanut Butter cups. We love anything and everything mint, peppermint, and chocolate : )
HAHAAA! what a hilarious joke :) love it and love the recipe! thanks girl!
Ooooh Aruba!! it reminds me of that song I love so much...i hope you're having a blast with your family!! Thank you for having Diana as the guest poster!! The peppermint idea is AWESOME!!!! Even though i am not a fan of coconut, it's so genious to combine them with peppermint to make a peppermint patty!! Drools away!!!! :)
GREAT guest post!!
i love that picture of the fresh mango.. ahh i LOVE fresh mango.. had it in bahamas and it was the best ever!
That "chocopasta" stuff looks amazing...is it like a white chocolate spread? DECADENT!!
You have seriously started a chocolate-making trend, Averie. Diana's peppermint Patties look fantastic!! Great holiday treat, too. :)
What a neat recipe! I love chocolate mint.. and especially if it's dark chocolate mint!
And thanks for the yoga pose! My quads are in desperate need of a good stretch!
Great recipe!!! Glad you're staying warm :)
fantastic post! the peppermint patties sound awesome. It just sounds so refreshing and delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
The candle idea is great! I have tons of vanilla scented candles around my apt. I love to kick back after work and light them. They give great mood lighting and the smell is really relaxing!
Oh my goodness!
1st) Love Diana's blog. :)
2nd) This recipe is awesome! It's like your chocolate coconut snowball+peppermint donut holes+PB cups all in own. Genius. I need to make these and your PB cupsss. Specifically bought a big thing of PB the other day too.
Great guestie, and looking forward to your giveaway! Love ya babe.
I needed a quick 5-minute recipe last night, so I made the coconut patties (no peppermint). I spent the first 10-15 minutes trying to get the mixture to blend in the Blendtec. The quantity was so small. I ended up tripling it and freezing the extra. I don't like my treats very sweet, so I was using less agave then called for. I ended up having to add a bit of water to get it to blend, but it ended up OK. It just occurred to me that the Blendtec would probably pulverize the coconut if I had blended it alone first!
Question - why use so much coconut oil? My mixture was SO oily. I love coconut oil in every way, so I didn't mind. I'm just wondering if there is a reason to use that much.
Katie - I'll answer your question here so that others can benefit.
You're right--this is a really small quantity, so to be honest, you're probably just as well off to mix the filling by hand. I don't have a Vita/Blendtec, but I suggested using one because I thought it would probably be up to the task of mixing the filling smooth, closer to the texture of a York pattie.
I didn't find my patties so very oily, but of course you could adjust the quantity if you find it to be too much. It does help the filling to be less crumbly and more of a paste, though. I wonder if the water you added made it seem oilier than mine came out, due to the extra liquid? Anyway, I'm sorry the recipe gave you so much trouble. This is why I don't have a cookbook deal!
I didn't consider it 'trouble'! I was making candy -- I was happy!! :-D
The water could definitely have made it seem more oily.
After finishing the recipe, it occurred to me that the Blendtec would have easily pulverized the dry coconut if I had blended it alone first. At that point I could have taken the coconut 'powder' and mixed the other ingredients in easily by hand. So that might be a tip for anyone else trying this.
oooh, those peppermint patties look sooo delicious. id love to try them.
emily
I have no excuse for not having made those delicious pb cups yet other than a lack of time. Maybe I'll make it a new years resolution? Haha
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