This recipe is not going to be my most popular one, but I’m ok with that. BUT, for those of you who are opened-minded to trying something new, stay with me. Dandelion greens are among the most nutrient-dense greens around. I grew up eating dandelion salad straight up with my Everyday Salad Dressing #1 (lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper) and sometimes with anchovies or sardines. (See another, more traditional dressing below.) I still love it that way, but for anyone not used to dandelion greens, I paired it with this mild dressing which tones down the bitterness. You can also ease into bitter greens by mixing them with more mild salads. I love sautéing dandelion greens with lots of garlic or adding them to vegetable soups.Continue reading
Red Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp Recipe
Time for another 15-minute meal! I love shrimp and all seafood, and it really comes in handy for a quick, light weeknight meal. Add in flavor boosters like Thai curry paste and I can’t go wrong. I just clean out the crisper drawer and essentially throw everything together. If I’m hungry, I make rice. If I’m not, I’ll make cauliflower rice. Let’s make it!Continue reading
Olive Oil Yogurt Cake with Citrus Glaze Recipe
I taught this cake last year in a Mediterranean-inspired class and it quickly became a favorite. If you are skeptical about olive oil in a cake, try it!! It’s a delicious, fruity fat and cakes last longer with oil instead of butter. Olive oil is the perfect match with citrus, other fruits like apples, chocolate, and herbs in desserts (I have a crazy good recipe for a chocolate chunk cake with rosemary.) You can dust it with powdered sugar or make this glaze with whatever citrus you have. Blood oranges and pink grapefruit are particularly pretty!Continue reading
Pasta E Fagioli Soup Recipe
Pasta e fagioli is the soup of my childhood and the first soup I ever learned how to make. It was my father’s favorite so we ate it often, usually on a Monday night because on Sundays we had a pretty big meal. Sometimes my mom put a piece of salt pork in the soup and used water, other times a small parmesan rind. We usually ate it with bread and a wedge of cheese and some fruit afterwards. Pretty simple, and I am craving that simplicity again. Everyone loves this soup and I know you will too!Continue reading
Quick Asian-Inspired Tangerine Chicken Recipe
This tangerine chicken recipe is a family favorite and sooooo easy! I like it more than similar dishes we have ordered at a restaurant and I can control the type of oil and quality of the ingredients. I use the term “inspired” in the recipe name because I am not an authority in Asian cooking. I just try to duplicate dishes I have eaten out of the home with ingredients I have on hand and make them taste great! In the case of this tangerine chicken, it was a major success!Continue reading
Okonomiyaki-Inspired Veggie Pancake Recipe
I took a little break from posting both here and on social media but I’m back. And with a GOOD one! This is one of those recipes that will reward you if you’re open-minded. There will be some of you who will look past this Japanese vegetable pancake, also known as Okonomiyaki, and think it’s nothing special. You need to trust me here and make this. Not only am I obsessed with this, Hubs and my son fight over every last scrap. This is very filling as a light meal, or sometimes I’ll add a slice of smoked salmon on top for extra protein.Continue reading
Vegetarian Mushroom Wellington Recipe
I hope you are having a lovely holiday season! Hubs and I are so enjoying being with all the kids. There is truly nothing better. Once the kids leave, you relish any time you spend with them! We had the best visit with my family on Long Island and now we are in Utah with Hubs’s family. I will pray for good snow but mild temps! I’m such a wimp. If you want a super impressive and delicious main dish for a night in or for a New Year’s dinner, I have you covered. I served this Mushroom Wellington at a dinner party last year, and I couldn’t believe how everyone went crazy for it – even the carnivores!Continue reading
Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe
It’s cookie season! I’ve actually never been to a cookie exchange, but I know many people participate in that tradition. Cookies are fun to decorate and to gift to others. At this time of year, just give me chocolate and peppermint all day. Unless it’s something gingerbread, and I would be just as happy. These crinkle cookies are easy, dairy-free (they call for oil and not butter) and they are the perfect Christmas cookie!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- great for the holidays and cookie exchange parties;
- they are diary-free which is not always easy to find in cookie recipes;
- they stay fresh for several days;
- easy to add some festive touches like a Hershey’s kiss or a piece of peppermint bark!
Ingredients
- Cocoa powder – The difference between cocoa powder and cacao powder is the temperature used to process them. Cocoa powder is roasted at a high temperature and goes through a process to reduce its bitterness, which is why it’s mainly used in baked goods. Cacao powder on the other hand is made from raw cacao beans, so I prefer to use this in raw preparations, like a smoothie, but you can use it here if that’s what you have on hand.Â
- Sugar – I use organic unbleached cane sugar, but you can use coconut sugar if you’d like since the cocoa powder will make them dark.Â
- Olive oil – I love using olive oil in baked goods. Trust me, it won’t taste like a vinaigrette.Â
- Eggs – I use large eggs.Â
- Vanilla extract –Â use pure vanilla extract with no artificial flavors or additives for best flavor. You can also make your own. See this recipe.Â
- Peppermint extract – is really strong. A little goes a long way. I remember adding too much to a smoothie once and it was inedible!
- Flour – I recommend using all-purpose, spelt flour, or a gluten-free flour blend.Â
- Baking powder – I prefer an aluminum-free baking powder.Â
- Powdered sugar – is pulverized white sugar. Also known as confectioner’s sugar, which give these cookies a nice powdery white coat.Â
How to make it?Â
- Whisk together the cocoa powder and cane sugar. Add the olive oil and whisk until it forms a thick paste. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and peppermint extract.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the wet cocoa-sugar mixture until just combined and no dry flour is visible. Try not to overmix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough until chilled, 4 hours to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Line a half sheet pan with unbleached parchment paper (use two sheet pans if you plan to make smaller cookies). Scoop 1 Tablespoon size balls of dough for small cookies or 2 Tablespoon size balls of dough for larger cookies. The dough will be slightly sticky. I recommend using a swing arm ice cream scoop for this. You can place the cookie dough balls on the sheet pan in the meantime. Be careful as they may stick to the parchment.
- Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Take a ball of dough and roll it in the sugar, one at a time, coating well all sides and place back on the prepared baking sheet(s). Repeat with remaining cookie dough balls.
- Bake small cookies for 10-12 minutes and larger cookies for 12-14 minutes, until the center of each cookie is just starting to set. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will firm up slightly as they cool.
Tips
- Make sure you plan for the extra time to chill the dough.
- Cook them a little extra if you like a crisp cookie.
- You can add a candy cane Hershey kiss pressed in the center of each cookie after they come out of the oven.Â
- Measure the mint extract over the counter and not the bowl in case you spill some.
- Might be fun to mix in crushed freeze-dried strawberries with the powdered sugar for a more festive look.Â
Substitutions
- Cocoa powder – cacao powder. I haven’t tried it with carob powder, but it might work.
- Cane sugar – coconut sugar or maple sugar
- Flour – all-purpose, spelt flour, or gluten-free flour blend
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Other chocolate desserts you may like:
*Mini Flourless Chocolate Cakes
*Nut-free Flourless Fallen Chocolate Cake
*Baked Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
*Whole Grain Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache (I love adding peppermint to the ganache!)
*Fudgy Black Bean Brownies with Chocolate Ganache
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If you give this recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a rating and review! Subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes, updates and things I’m loving lately. If you enjoy this recipe, I taught it last year in my online class! Give me an hour a month, and I’ll make you a better, healthier cook!
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder
- ¾ cup organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- â…› teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spelt flour or gluten-free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (aka confectioner’s sugar), sifted if clumpy
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and cane sugar. Add the olive oil and whisk until it forms a thick paste. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and peppermint extract.
- In another medium-large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the flour mix into the wet cocoa-sugar mixture until just combined and no dry flour is visible. Try not to overmix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough until chilled, 4 hours to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan with unbleached parchment paper (use two sheet pans if you plan to make smaller cookies). Scoop 1 Tablespoon size balls of dough for small cookies or 2 Tablespoon size balls of dough for larger cookies. The dough will be slightly sticky. I recommend using a swing arm ice cream scoop for this. You can place the cookie dough balls on the sheet pan in the meantime. Be careful as they may stick to the parchment.
- Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Take a ball of dough and roll it in the sugar, one at a time, coating well all sides and place back on the prepared baking sheet(s). Repeat with remaining cookie dough balls.
- Bake small cookies for 10-12 minutes and larger cookies for 12-14 minutes, until the center of each cookie is just starting to set. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will firm up slightly as they cool.
Might be fun to mix crushed freeze-dried strawberries with the powdered sugar for a more festive look.
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