Healthy Christmas After Eights - Wafer Thin Mints
This year, rather than my usual recipe share, I have decided to do something totally different. I’ve come up with some yummy healthy Christmas recipe that can be given to family and friends as little pressies for the holidays. It is so lovely to receive a present that has been hand made and even more so when it tastes deeeeelicious!!!! The only problem with these gifts is that I couldn’t get my little elf helpers to stop eating them!
As a child I always remember Christmas treats being – a tin of Danish Butter Biscuits and a box of After Eights. It was really the only time of the year my parents bought either and both the tin and the box were always opened on Christmas day after dinner, usually while watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 😀
This recipe has been on my mind for months and I have been testing out various ways of making the inside without using sugar. Believe me when I tell you I’ve tried about 10 different concoctions of coconut oil, cream, reduce maple syrup….. but finally I figured it out and believe me when I tell you, these bad boys are so worth waiting for.
The inside uses only 3 ingredients;
Coconut Manna/Coconut Butter – This is not to be confused with coconut oil. They are not the same thing. Coconut manna can be found in all good health stores and is made by pureeing coconut flesh until it becomes a super smooth and creamy butter. It is thick and creamy and not in the slightest bit oily and in cold temperatures is hard.
Maple Syrup – This is my sweetener of choice and while it is classed as a free sugar I try to use as little as possible to make my treats healthy. The inside of these chocolates use only 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in 12 chocolates – 1 tbsp (20g) 12.1g free sugar which is only 1g per portion for the inside and 1g for the chocolate making these treats really low in free sugars.
Peppermint Oil – I bought pure peppermint oil in my local health store. Peppermint is used to aid digestion and comes from peppermint leaves. I used only 6 drops of the oil for these and that was plenty for these. Just minty enough but not over powering. You don’t want the inside to taste like toothpaste, they should be creamy and minty just the way an After Eight should be.
I packaged these little chocolates in the cutest little box I found in Søstrene Grene and cost less than €2. The inside paper is just crumpled up parchment paper. The perfect pressie for Granny and Grandad from baby Oscar xoxoxox
Wishing you all an amazing Christmas and hope you love these as much as we did.
Aileen and Oscar the Elf xoxoxo
For lot’s more healthy Christmas recipe follow Baby Led Feeding on Pinterest
Healthy Christmas After Eights – Wafer Thin Mints
Ingredients
- 80 g coconut manna coconut butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 6 drops pure peppermint oil
- 100 g Cacao Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar Free Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tablespoon Cacao Powder
- 3 Tablespoons Cashew Butter or other smooth nut butter
- 2 Tablespoons Tahini
Method
- Bring a saucepan of water roughly 1/4 full to a boil and then turn to a simmer.
- Add the coconut manna to a glass bowl with the maple syrup and place the bowl over the saucepan. The coconut manna should slowly melt and turn into a thick paste. Add the water and stir really well until it is smooth and creamyj, then stir in the peppermint drops.
- Pour the mixture into a small tin lined with parchment paper (mine is 20cm x 20cm). It should only come up about 5mm. Place into the freezer to set for about 1hr.
- After about 40 minutes make the chocolate by placing a clean glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.
- Add the cacao butter, maple syrup, vanilla and slowly melt over a simmering heat. Once totally melted, remove from the heat fully to allow the butter keep its nutritiousness, then whisk in the, cacao powder, cashew butter and tahini until it is smooth and creamy.
- Leave the chocolate in the fridge/freezer for about 10 minutes to allow it to cool fully but not too cool that it sets. This helps the chocolate to thicken making it easier to dunk the fillings and get a good coating.
- Remove the minty insides from the freezer, cut into 12 squares dip each one into the chocolate. After dipping let them drip for a few seconds then place on a sheet of parchment paper. Place in the fridge to set.
- Repeat if needed. You may have to melt the chocolate if it has set.
- Allow to set fully before eating (if you can wait that long).
*
Recipe Notes & Tips
Writen by Aileen Cox Blundell - number one bestselling author, award winning blogger and Mum of 3 kiddies who all eat their veggies.
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