I like sweet food very much, like dark chocolate that that falls between milk chocolate and bitter-dark. Even better when it’s crossed with peanut butter, caramel or mint. Toffee, coconut or honey bits make me weak in the knees. Go ahead, stir in some puffed quinoa or chili powder or chai tea.
Once I put the olive oil and dark chocolate together, it’s kind of funny that I haven’t tried making more chocolate treats.
That’s why I got excited when I found this recipe for honey-sweetened chocolate peppermint cups in Jessica Murnane’s new cookbook, One Part Plant. They require only four ingredients (three, if you drop the flaky sea salt), about ten minutes of prep, and thirty minutes in the freezer.
I dog-eared quite a few recipes in Jessica’s new cookbook to make, like the za’atar swirl bread and easy spicy miso soup. Most of them, like the baklava-ish toast, are super simple and seem perfect for busy weekdays.
Jessica discovered plant-based diets when she was struggling with Stage 4 endometriosis. Her symptoms decreased to manageable levels when she transitioned to a diet of whole foods. Isn’t that miraculous? I love stories like hers.
I would never suggest that diet can cure all maladies, but I love to hear about people who have found their cures in foods rather than prescriptions. Like my friend Tessa, whose awful migraines disappeared when she stopped eating gluten.
Jessica shares her story and 100 non-inflammatory recipes in her new book. They’re all dairy-free and gluten-free. I think I picked one of the only non-vegan recipes in the book to share. The peppermint filling contains raw honey, which is key because it’s thicker than regular honey or maple syrup.
If you share my sweet tooth, I hope you’ll give these a shot. They’re a fun alternative to those expensive gourmet varieties that I mentioned above, and just one can satisfy my chocolate cravings for the day. Although, sometimes I go back for another, and then maybe another. They’re that good.
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup dark chocolate (I used 6 ounces dark chocolate chips)
- Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for sprinkling
- In a small bowl, stir together the honey and peppermint extract until combined. Arrange mini cupcake liners on a large plate (or on two salad plates, like I did here), or if you have one, fill a mini cupcake pan with the liners.
- Melt the chocolate (I did this in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each one, or you can use a double boiler on the stove). Fill the bottom of each cup with 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate. Add a small dollop of the honey mixture in the center, then top it with another teaspoon of the chocolate.
- Sprinkle a little sea salt over the cups (note: if you want the salt to stay visible on top like mine, wait until the cups have chilled for about 5 minutes to sprinkle with salt). Freeze the candies until firm, about 30 minutes, then they will be ready to eat! For maximum longevity, store them in the freezer in a sealed bag.
