Dark Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Mint Macaroons

This year went by in a whirlwind, full of ups and downs. Now we are swiftly moving through December and I'm trying to take everything in without getting too bogged down. I want to enjoy the month by making an effort to be more conscious of how I spend my time. Since my time is quite valuable, I want to make sure I'm spending it doing what I love. I love creating recipes for this space so I'm making sure to allot some time for that during this busy month. I'm also making some new plans for Sweet Miscellany in 2016 so stay tuned for updates :)

Since we have arrived at the month of December, that means it's cookie month here on the blog! In the last few weeks of the year, I'll be sharing cookies and other goodies perfect for the holiday season. While writing this post I realized this is the 4th year of this tradition and it had me itching to look back at some of the past cookie month posts. Though some of the photography is a bit frightening (i-phone food photography, anyone?!), there are some tasty gems among those posts. Here are some of my favorites from over the years to help jump start your holiday baking season:

- Pecan Raspberry Linzer Cookies 
- Salted Dark Chocolate Nibby Cookies
- Spiced Apple Butter Thumbprints
- Gingerbread Cookies with Cardamom Vanilla Glaze
- Candied Ginger Snowballs

This year I'm kicking cookie month off with these delicious little macaroons! The ingredient list is short and simple and they come together pretty quickly. If you are a fan of mint and chocolate, you will totally dig these. Plus, there's vanilla bean in there to make them extra special. When I see those little vanilla flecks in baked goods I know I'm in for something truly delicious. I decided to go with a more traditional pointed shape for these because I wanted them to be reminiscent of little trees, but you can leave them in little mounds if you want. No worries. It's all about finding what feels good in the kitchen (and in life, too).

Dark Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Mint Macaroons
notes: Coconut butter is quite hard at room temperature, especially in a drafty winter kitchen. I warmed mine up in a pot over low heat on the stove. 

1/2 cup softened coconut butter
1/3 cup grade B maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut milk (plus more if needed)
1 tsp vanilla paste or the contents of 1 vanilla bean
5-6 drops mint oil or 1/2 tsp mint extract
pinch of sea salt
heaped cup of unsweetened shredded coconut

1.5 oz dark chocolate
1/2 tsp coconut oil

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and grease a baking sheet with coconut oil. Mix together the coconut butter, syrup, coconut milk, vanilla, and mint oil until it is smooth and uniform in appearance. Stir in the sea salt and shredded coconut until the mixture starts to stick together and form a ball. It will be soft but should hold together when you roll it in a ball in your hands.

Using damp fingers, scoop out heaping tablespoon sized portions of dough and roll them into balls. Place them on the greased cookie sheet and gently shape the tops into points with the tips of your fingers. You can always leave them as mounds if you want to skip this step. After you have used up all of the dough, place the baking sheet in your preheated oven and bake the macaroons for 25 to 30 minutes until the bottoms are golden and they are firm to the touch. Cool the macaroons completely.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together. Once the chocolate is completely melted and shiny, pour it into a small bowl. Dip the tip of each macaroon into the chocolate, gently shaking off any excess. Repeat with the remaining macaroons. The chocolate will eventually set at room temperature but you can place the macaroons in the fridge to speed up the process. Makes 15-16 macaroons.