St. Patty’s

Leprechauns, lucky four-leaf clovers, soda bread, potatoes, excessive amounts of beer, and green-colored everything.

These are the only things I know about St. Patrick’s Day.

With an understanding that’s as spotty as an inbred dalmatian at best, I couldn’t tell you how any of the above are interrelated here. Who was St. Patrick? What did he once do? Why are we celebrating him? The best answer ever offered tends to be along the lines of “…Does it really matter? Pass me another drink!”

There is no doubt good reason to declare the 17th of March a holiday every year, and yet I still couldn’t tell you a single thing about it. Rather than fuss over the details, it really is better just to take the opportunity to make merry.

Happy to fill in the gaps on any day that give me an excuse to compose a special sweet treat, this one didn’t immediately fill me with dessert inspiration. Not wanting to go along the route of a big, boozy, knock-out grand finale, the options, like my knowledge of official St. Patrick’s Day traditions, were severely limited. At the last minute possible, it all began to fall into place. Potatoes were the start of this production, and remembering the old-fashioned formula for potato candy, the remaining pieces quickly fell into place.

What are shamrock patties?

Sweet, refreshing, and strongly minty, these soft patties are the green cousins to the typically chocolate-covered mint fondants. Contrasted by an emerald-colored coating of slightly bitter matcha, these mature treats are far more complex in flavor than their playful appearance might suggest.

Can’t find cocoa butter?

Considering how last-minute this recipe is being delivered, you could certainly run with the idea and just use a simple coating of melted bittersweet chocolate instead. Consider dressing up your patties with colored sugar or sprinkles for some extra bling, too.

Yield: Make 3 – 4 Dozen Patties

Shamrock Patties

Name: Shamrock Patties
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 1/4 Cup Smooth Mashed Potatoes*; 1 Tablespoon Vegan Butter; 3 – 4 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar; 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract; 1/4 Teaspoon Peppermint Oil**; Pinch Salt; 1/4 Cup (2 Ounces) Cocoa Butter; 1/4 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar; 1 Teaspoon Matcha Powder; Green Colored Sugar or Sprinkles, if Desired

No Ratings

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

Mint Patties:

1/4 Cup Smooth Mashed Potatoes*
1 Tablespoon Vegan Butter
3 – 4 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Peppermint Oil**
Pinch Salt

Matcha Coating:

1/4 Cup (2 Ounces) Cocoa Butter
1/4 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
1 Teaspoon Matcha Powder

To Garnish:

Green Colored Sugar or Sprinkles, if Desired

Instructions

Place your mashed potatoes in the bowl of your food processor fitted with the paddle attachment, or in you food processor. Add the vegan butter and cream the two together until smooth.
Incorporate 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar to start, along with the vanilla, peppermint oil, and salt. Start on a slow speed, or pulse to combine. The mixture will likely look like thick icing at this point, so add in another cup of confectioner’s sugar, and once again mix on low. You’re looking for it to become the consistency of soft cookie dough; malleable, but not gooey or drippy. If it still seems to be too loose, mix in up to an additional cup of the sugar, as needed.
Turn the potato candy out onto a silicone baking mat or piece of parchment paper and gently flatten it out to about 1/4 – 1/2 inch in thickness. To prevent sticking, either sprinkle on a very light dusting of confectioner’s sugar and/or top it with a second silicone baking mat or sheet of parchment before taking the rolling pin to it. Stash your candy disk in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before proceeding.
Once chilled, pull out a small shamrock-shaped cookie cutter approximately 1-inch wide. Cut out your clovers and transfer them to the prepared sheet. Gather up the candy scraps, re-roll, and cut again, until you’ve used all of the dough. Should the dough become too soft and finicky to work with, just toss it back in the fridge for another 15 – 30 minutes, and try once more. Now, stash the whole sheet of cut centers in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before getting to work on the coating.
Place your cocoa butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 – 3 minutes, so that it completely liquefies. Meanwhile, mix together the remaining ingredients in a small dish, making sure that they’re thoroughly combined and that there are no clumps of matcha. Once the cocoa butter is melted, whisk in the dry ingredients, stirring vigorously to make sure that everything is completely dissolved into the molten fat.
Pull out your semi-frozen mint patties, and dip each into the matcha coating, one at a time. Place them back on the baking mat or parchment and watch the coating set up right before your eyes. This top coat is thinner than conventional white chocolate, so you may wish to double-dip once the first layer has solidified. If using, quickly sprinkle the decorate sugar over the dipped patties as soon as you set them down.

Notes

*Peel and chop one russet potato into small chunks. Boil for 7 – 10 minutes, until very tender, and drain thoroughly. Beat well either with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, or a potato masher, until completely smooth and lump-free. Do not add any liquid or seasoning. Measure out 1/4 cup and reserve the rest for another use.

**Peppermint oil is much stronger than peppermint extract, and thus the two are not directly interchangeable. If you can’t get a hold of the oil, try substituting 3/4 – 1 1/4 teaspoons of extract, to taste, and bear in mind that you will likely need more confectioner’s sugar to make up for the added liquid.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 117Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 7mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 0gSugar: 28gProtein: 0g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

March 16, 2011January 21, 2023

Hannah (BitterSweet)45 Comments

Uncooked Cookies

You know it’s summer when you have to think twice about starting up the oven, dreading the excess heat it’s sure to pump out into the already sweltering kitchen. Although the temperature is still generally manageable here, it’s only a matter of time before legs start sticking to chairs and AC becomes mandatory. Anticipating this inevitable progression of the season, I’ve begun to prepare, finding treats and other eats that require little to no cooking, lest I risk making everyone in the house miserable and inspire an all-out cooking ban. Heck, I’d banish myself if I continued to roast and broil like usual when thermometers start pushing 100!

Reasonably, raw foods become a promising source of inspiration, as I naturally gravitate towards simpler and fresher foods as they become available. There’s a big difference, however, between a perfect peach plucked right from the tree and eaten straight away, and preparing elaborate raw desserts. Luckily, both can be very tasty, but the latter definitely requires a bit more patience.

Wasting no time in working on my arsenal of comfort foods, classic chocolate chip cookies sounded like the perfect place to start. One could very easily use cacao nibs for the chips, but craving a richer, more familiar chocolate chunk, the project begins by whipping up a glossy, luscious raw chocolate bar.

Lacking that satisfying “snap” but still smoothly melting over the tongue, no chocoholic would be able to turn this treat down. A fine confection by itself, but there was still cookie dough to make! Happily, I ended up with far more chocolate than could reasonably fit into my batch of cookies, so I considered the extra bar as a bonus for the cook. Just doing my job in cleaning up, right?

Based on a number of similar recipes, this concept is certainly nothing new, but the excessive amount of almond meal sitting in my pantry practically cried out to be included, so my main modifications were made in order to use up a good deal of it.

Sadly, these seemingly fool-proof uncooked sweets were a bit of a disappointment. So soft that I had to store them in the freezer to hold their shapes, the texture is mostly what left a lot to be desired. They won’t be replacing my baked CCC’s any time soon, and are more akin to a Larabar than any cookie I know, but the flavor is still quite enjoyable in its own right. The raw chocolate is still a highly successful imitation though, and will work nicely in a pinch when my stockpile of chocolate chips suddenly turns up missing.

Yield: Makes 2 Chocolate Bars

Raw Chocolate Bars

No Ratings

Make your own chocolate bars from scratch using only whole, raw foods ingredients, in mere minutes!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil, Melted
1/4 Cup Light Agave Nectar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Cocoa Powder
Pinch Salt

Instructions

Simply whisk together all of the ingredients until completely smooth- It may take a bit of patience, as the cocoa powder is prone to clumping.
Once entirely lump-free, pour the liquid cocoa into 2 chocolate bar molds, or a lightly greased 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Carefully stash the molds in your freezer until set, at least 2 hours.
Though it will be stable at room temperature, this chocolate does have different melting properties than the traditional version, and may behave differently if baked.
If it’s getting hot where you live as well, I would highly recommend storing these bars in at least in the fridge in a zip-top baggie, if not in the freezer for prolonged freshness.

Decadence, to the Next Power

Pulling into the parking lot with a sense of urgency, we had made it to the grocery store with just enough time to spare before its doors closed for the evening. Plans had been made, lists were written, and it was time to begin holiday baking in earnest, once a few staples were secured. Casually perusing the aisles as if not feeling the intense pressure of a looming deadline, the mission was going just fine, items on that list moving from shelf to cart with ease. Walnuts? Check. Cranberries? Check? Sugar? Ginger? Chocolate? Check. Check. Che-

Not check. Peering over the tall stack of pallid, waxy, dairy-imbued white chocolate chips, a barren spot where the dark chocolate chips ought to have resided met my eye. Surely this must be a joke- A sick, nasty joke that no one in their right mind would laugh at- Not a single bag of suitable chocolate in the whole store? Devastated, I rifle through the other baking ingredients aimlessly, while my mom has enough wits about her to actually ask an employee what gives. Nope, all we have is what’s out there, ma’am. The final verdict is crushing. I trudge to the cash register, sans chocolate, utterly defeated.

And then, reaching the front of the store and lifting my eyes, as if sent by the heavens, a wiser, older employee stood triumphant, a bag of the very chocolate I sought propped up in his open hand. Just like flipping on a light switch, my face brightened and steps quickened, the depression lifted in an instant. How? Where? Oh, they were just hiding under the pile of white chocolate was all. We have more, too- How many do you want? Um, all of them, please. 7 bags of chocolate chips richer, I breathed a deep sigh of relief, and took a moment to appreciate how important chocolate is in general, and especially when it comes to holiday baking.

Thus, it seemed to appropriate to make a sweet treat that truly allowed the pure chocolate to shine, the purest expression of cocoa beans, sugar, and vanilla possible beyond a solid bar of the stuff. Truffles are the only way to go for the true chocoholic, but then I thought, what would accentuate this intense flavor further, and add some complimentary earthiness and depth? Well, truffles.

Yes, it’s a bit of a splurge, but isn’t that what the holidays are all about? Besides, just the tiniest square will satisfy; Seriously intense is just about the only way to describe these simple yet very complex confections. Since these are truffled truffles, truffles², it only made sense to cut them into simple squares instead of going through the messy process of rolling them into spheres.

Perhaps not for all tastes, but the more adventurous eaters and true chocolate-lovers should be able to appreciate this unique treat. Just be sure to dose it out in very small, elegant portions!

Yield: Makes 30 – 40 Truffles

Truffles²

No Ratings

Intense is just about the only way to describe these confections that are simple to make, yet very complex in flavor. Heady black truffle oil enriches dark chocolate for a wild interplay between bitter and sweet, savory and salty.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

9 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Chips or Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Truffle Oil
Coarsely Ground Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Instructions

Line an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with aluminum foil and lightly spritz with cooking spray. Set aside.
Place the chocolate, coconut milk, and olive oil in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for one minute. Stir thoroughly with a spatula, and if necessary, heat for an additional 30 – 60 seconds, stirring thoroughly between each 30-second interval until completely smooth.
Add in the truffle oil, mix well to incorporate. Pour the liquid chocolate into your prepared pan, and lightly dust the top with a pinch of sea salt. Let cool, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before proceeding.
Once cool and firm, use the foil like a sling to pull the truffle rectangle out of the pan, and set it on a cutting board. Slice it into very small squares, about 1/2 – 3/4 inch, and dip the sides and bottoms into the cocoa powder.
Let the truffles come to room temperature before eating for the most powerful flavor, but keep chilled in an airtight container for storage.

Copycat, Copycat

The trouble with recreating classic candies that will strike a chord with both nostalgic adults and sweets-seeking kids, is that I was never really ate many of those original concoctions in the first place.

After every Halloween conquest,

my sister and I had a very specific ritual, painstakingly lining up our plunder on the living room floor, making what we would later call a “candy parade.” Sweets were grouped by type and content, in order of preference, of course. Once that was all done, and we both had time to admire each other’s take, the swapping would begin. Down to the end of the line we would both bound, eager to pawn off our least favorite treats in return for something a bit more palatable. Pretty much anything with nuts was out for me, as I had trouble with the concept of crunchy bits inside anything else at the time, so that severely limited the number of varieties I ever tried, to say the least.

And if there was a particular bar or patty that contained coconut?

Well, you could just forget about it; Neither of us wanted anything to do with those distasteful nuggets, and would resort to trading with a less discriminating candy enthusiast, such as our mom or dad. Sure, they usually only had hard candies to barter, which fell very low on the scale of candy value, but anything was better than coconut.

Oh, how things change.

The problem, it turned out, wasn’t the coconut itself, but that nauseatingly over-sweetened stuff, sticky with corn syrup and chemical preservatives. So I’ve never had a classic Mounds Bar, and definitely no Almond Joy‘s have ever passed my lips, but they intrigue me enough that I set out to try making something similar. The sad two or three almonds in an Almond Joy confuse me to no end, and while I still think it would be more apt to call it a Coconut Joy, I decided to go with the flow, and make my own version, with cashews instead.

Definitely no perfect copycat recipe, but one inspired by the classic, this chocolate bar is a delicious treat in its own right.

Yield: Makees 24 - 48 Candy Bars

Cashew (Coconut) Joy

No Ratings

Inspired by Almond Joy candy bars, this vegan copy cat version uses cashews instead.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Full-Fat Coconut Milk
3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, Melted
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
8 Ounces (About 2 2/3 Cups) Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1/2 Cup Chopped, Toasted Cashews
1/2 Cup Whole Toasted Cashews
12 Ounces Rice Milk Chocolate or Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Finely Chopped

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar. Once smooth, switch over to a spatula, and stir in the shredded coconut and chopped cashews, until fully incorporated and no dry patches in the mixture remain.
Transfer the mix into a lightly greased 8 x 8-inch square pan, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass to press down and smooth out the top. Place the whole cashews at regular intervals in even lines down the pan, pressing them in gently. Move the pan in the freezer for at least 3 hours, until chilled and firm.
When you’re ready to enrobe your bars, melt down your chosen chocolate in the microwave, stirring thoroughly at 30 second intervals, until smooth. Set out a silicone baking mat or piece of parchment paper, and go retrieve the frozen coconut centers.
Slice into bars, and then carefully dip them into the chocolate. A few flakes of coconut may come off, but just fish them out of the pool of chocolate and continue. You may wish to store the pieces in the freezer until the moment that you’re ready to dip them, if them seem particularly fragile.
Tap off the excess chocolate, and place the bars on your silicone baking mat or parchment paper, and let cool until set. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

The Passover Problem

Every year, it’s the same thing; Endless sheets of dry, bland matzo, and very little else.

Passover is not a fun holiday by any stretch of the imagination, having much more to do with loss and suffering than celebration, but I still don’t see why it must always be a miserable week to endure. I’m far from religious, and will readily admit that I do not keep kosher for the whole week, but I do participate in the family Seder and as always, am responsible for an appropriate and delicious dessert.

In this case, it means no barley, wheat, rye, oats, spelt, corn, rice, peanuts, legumes, and leavening in general. As if it wasn’t tough enough being a vegan at a family dinner! This is why I don’t typically continue to observe beyond that one meal, because I value my health and personally can’t maintain a balanced diet with such limitations.

But, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible, and it’s certainly easy enough to brainstorm a solid sweet ending for Seder. In my case, I’m planning on making tartlettes with a toasted coconut crust, and filling them with the lemon curd from My Sweet Vegan, but more on that later.

Your best bet is to rely on fruits and nuts- Go very simply with poached pears, or try some variation of panna cotta subbing in coconut yogurt for the soy (and the sky’s the limit when it comes to flavors) which you could pair with a fresh fruit sauce. Whip up a simple mousse in no time, or a frozen delight like pumpkin ice cream is sure to end the dinner on a sweet note.

If all else fails, many candies are very simple and naturally kosher for Passover, such as peanut butter and peppermint cups, fudge, or an all-time favorite in my household, the matzah toffee, as pictured above, from my cookbook. So simple and crowd-pleasing that even my omnivore mom volunteered to make it this year, it’s one sweet treat that we always have on hand to beat the Passover blues.

While it may be trying to keep kosher, everything will be just fine if you can whip up a batch (or two, or three…) of this stuff. Even if you don’t celebrate Passover, you may want to pick up a box or two of matzah while it’s on the market now; You’ll want to make it all year round!

Yield: Makes 2 Pounds of Candy

Matzah Toffee

No Ratings

Buttery golden-brown toffee shatters on top of crisp matzo boards, smothered with a soft layer of dark chocolate. It's an essential staple for Passover, but so addictive that you'll want to make it all year long.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

4 – 5 Sheets Matzah, to Fit Pan
1 Cup Vegan Butter
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
12 Ounces (2 Cups) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/3 Cup Sliced Almonds (Optional)
1/4 Teaspoon Flaky Sea Salt (Optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450ºF (230ºC) and line a 15 x 10-inch jellyroll pan, or other shallow pan, with matzah sheets. Arrange them to cover the bottom evenly, overlapping just slightly; you may need to break them to do so.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, and salt together, bringing them to a slow boil. Maintain a gentle boil without stirring for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour the molten sugar mixture over the matzah and spread evenly. Bake in the oven for 4 minutes and remove carefully.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the matzah, then return the pan to your oven for another 30 to 60 seconds. After it comes out of the oven for this second time, use a flat, heat-safe spatula to gently spread the melted chocolate so that it covers the top as completely as possible. Sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds and/or sea salt, if desired.
Let the matzah toffee cool to room temperature, leaving it undisturbed until it has completely solidified. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Last-Minute Gifts

Firmly entrenched in Hannukah and only two days away from Christmas, there are only the small details remaining to be dealt with. When to start frying up the latkes, what color bows should top off packages, whether or not the good china should come out… But you can’t always be sure that things will run smoothly.

Someone always ends up throwing a wrench into the works, one way or another. With all the holiday insanity, it’s disturbingly easy to forget gifts for an important family member, or realize at the last minute that you didn’t make enough cookies to go around. Was there too much dough consumed before it made it into the oven? Did the dog snag some? Regardless, it may be time for Plan B: Make gingersnap truffles.

Very similar in construction to oreo truffles but with a delightful seasonal bent, you could easily create a small army of these sweet morsels in a matter of minutes, before anyone suspects that things ever when awry. Hopefully you won’t need a backup plan… But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.

Yield: Makes 16 - 18 Truffles

Gingersnap Truffles

No Ratings

These bite-sized confections offer a perfect balance of sweetness and spice, making them an irresistible choice for any occasion, especially during the holiday season. The rich filling is made from crushed gingersnaps and a hint of warmth from cinnamon and ginger, while the outside is delicately coated in a thin layer of chocolate or dusted with cocoa powder.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

8 Ounces Vegan Gingersnap Cookies
1/2 Cup Vegan Cream Cheese
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
8 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate or 1/2 Cup Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder*

Instructions

Place all of the cookies in your food processor or blender, and let it rip. Grind them down to a slightly coarse but even powder, and you should end up with about 1 2/3 cups of crumbs.
In a separate bowl, soften the cream cheese so that it spreads easily, and mix in the maple syrup and vanilla. Once smooth an homogeneous, add in the crumbs. You may need to use your hands to get everything evenly incorporated. When it’s ready to use, it should look like a brand new batch of gingersnap dough.
Pinch off walnut-sized pieces and either roll them in cocoa powder, or melt the chocolate and dip them in that. If you’re dipping the truffles, place them on a silicone baking mat once enrobed, and allow the chocolate to set completely before serving or packaging.
These do get better if you can make them a day or two in advance to let the flavors meld and mellow… But they’re still tasty no matter what!

Notes

*You should not use natural cocoa here, because it’s far too bitter.