Double Chocolate-Peppermint Crunch Cookies

I always get excited to bake with chocolate or carob. Why you might ask. Well because I can use a black bean puree and cut the fat out almost completely! I just love being able to tell someone, after they have eaten one of my cookies that it is fat free and has fiber in it. They are always so shocked and I love it! So I was extra excited when I saw this recipe. I thought it would be a fun cookie for valentines day. We always make sugar cookies, found here, and we still will. But chocolate is a great valentines flavor so these will be great for that too! I hope you like these as much as I did. The peppermint flavor is just perfect and very addicting. I couldn't stop eating them, so I stuck them in the freezer. They freeze great! When I wanted another one, on a different day of course, I put it in the microwave for 15 seconds and it came out tasting like I just took it out of the oven! So delicious!

Double Chocolate-Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Ingredients

3 cups carob chips or bittersweet chocolate chips

2 1/4 cup low gluten flour mix

1/4 heaping cup carob powder or unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup black bean puree

1 cup evaporated cane juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 large eggs

4 organic candy canes (found here), coarsely crushed

Directions

Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt 1 3/4 cup of carob chips in medium glass bowl, go here for directions. In another bowl, whisk flour, carob powder, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum; set aside. Beat bean puree and evaporated cane juice using an electric mixer until smooth. Add both extracts; beat until smooth. Add eggs; beat to blend. Beat in melted carob chips. Add dry ingredients and blend. Stir in 1/2 cup carob chips. Dough will be sticky. Place dough in fridge while oven preheats.

Preheat oven to 375*F. Measure 1 level tablespoonful of dough; roll dough between palms to form a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough spacing cookies 1 1/2 inches apart. With the back of a spoon, slightly push down on balls. Cookies will not spread very much. Bake cookies until cracked all over and a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 12 minutes.

Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment paper to racks to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Melt 3/4 cup carob chips in glass bowl. Spread melted carob on cookies, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes. When carob is set up, serve and enjoy!

Edit:

Lisa From "Sweet as Sugar Cookies" has invited me to put this recipe on her blog. Go check her out!