Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

There was a moment today when I thought, the addition of candy canes probably improves every recipe.  Then I thought about pizza, and sauerkraut, and fried rice... and decided to retract this hypothesis.

Still, adding candy cane pieces to Fat Mints resulted in cookies both pretty and delicious.  I used flax instead of commercial egg replacer, I only used 1/4 c whole wheat flour (the overall amount stayed the same), I added 1/4 c crushed candy canes (3 canes), and accordingly, I reduced the mint extract by half.  This time I also made them a little bit bigger than I usually make the Fat Mints (but not so big that I needed to adjust the cooking time).

The candy canes liquefy and then resolidify in the baking/cooling process, resulting in very pretty chunks that feel even harder than when they started.  It's worth the nervousness about your teeth, though.  These cookies are sort of like brownies on the inside, very chocolatey.

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

(adapted from Fat Mints)

Ingredients
1 TB ground flax + 3 TB warm water
1/2 c vegan butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 1/2 c white flour (or substitute 1/4 c whole wheat)
1/4 c cocoa (unsweetened)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 c chopped candy canes


Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a pyrex, whip together flax and water; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add flax "egg" and extracts.
In another large bowl, combine flours, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and mix well. Then add chocolate chips and candy cane pieces. Using a fair amount of pressure, press dough into small blobs, then roll into spheres.
Place cookies on parchment paper-lined sheets. Flatten slightly with your hand or a glass.
Bake for 10 minutes. Cookies will still be soft, but they will begin to crack open, and a toothpick inserted will come out clean. Allow cookies to sit and cool on baking sheet before moving them (they are fragile at first!). Makes about 3 dozen small cookies or 2 dozen medium.