Mint Choc Chip Sweet Potato Cookie Dough

I went through a phase as a teenager when I just LOVED cookie dough. Back then cookie dough was still pretty novel, imported from our friends across the pond - and like my childish longing for an American accent and braces, I embraced all things of that ilk without question. Luckily my parents never bought into it and it was a rare indulged treat.

Mint Choc Chip Sweet Potato Cookie Dough

Ignoring the fact that it always without fail gave me chronic stomach ache after eating (which I blamed on uncooked eggs and flour rather than the fact that it's actually just made of pure junk!), I'm not sure I can deny that it wasn't a pretty desirable combination of sticky comforting sweetness.

I created this recipe for the lovely follks over at Creative Nature Superfoods who very kindly sent me over a sample of their cacao nibs in order to see what I could come up with. Does anyone else love watching 'The Invention Test' on Masterchef ? Well, this challenge brought that to mind and who doesn't love pretending to be a Masterchef contender? Just me then!

Along with cookie dough, one of my favourite ice cream flavours since childhood is mint choc chip. So I decided to roll with this combo but healthified - obviously.

I am clearly no stranger to using sweet potato to make a healthy treat - see Sweet Potato Spiced Energy Bites, Sweet Potato Chocolate and Chia No Bake Cake, Sweet Potato Chocolate Delight and Purple Sweet Potato Ice Cream. But this one is the first to use white flesh sweet potato - it is drier, starchier, less sweet and firmer than the orange version plus the colour orange doesn't seem to conjure quite the right image for mint choc chip!

For me, the sweet potato and lucuma adds enough natural sweetness but there is an option to add a tablespoon of raw honey or maple syrup. Bear in mind that cacao nibs though richly chocolatey and crunchy, will taste bitter to those unaccustomed to high cacao content chocolate. Note that they also lose their crunchiness after a day or so in the fridge.

Roll into balls or scoop from a tub. I haven't tried baking it but if anyone does I'd love to know how that works out!

Oh, and remember, a treat is a treat - not to be consumed by the shovel full on a daily basis, yada yada yada...


Mint Choc Chip Sweet Potato Cookie Dough
Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Refined Sugar-free, Nut-free

Makes approx 15

Ingredients
1 medium to large (approx 300g) white flesh sweet potato, baked or microwaved in skin to cook, cooled then peeled
1/2 cup (35g) unsweetened dessicated coconut
2 tbsp coconut butter, slightly softened
3 tbsp coconut cream, solid part from top of a can of coconut milk
2 tbsp lucuma powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pure peppermint extract (no added sugars)
1/2 tsp spirulina powder (optional, just for colour, sub matcha or moringa if needed)
pinch sea salt
1/4 cup (30g) cacao nibs (I use this one -  use code IMPAL10 for 10% discount)
optional: 1 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup 

Instructions:
1. Process sweet potato in a food processor until crumbly.
2. Add coconut butter and dessicated coconut and continue to process until well combined.
3. Add lucuma, vanilla, peppermint, salt and coconut cream. Process until mixture comes together to form a sticky dough (like cookie dough!). Add a touch more coconut cream if too dry.
4. Remove half the mixture from processor and set aside.
5. Add spirulina to remaining mix and process again until evenly green. Remove processor blade.
6. Divide cacao nibs between the two separate cookie dough mixes and mix through.
7. Either pinch teaspoonfuls from each mix and roll together into balls or, as I did, make like Play-Doh and roll each mix into a long snake shape; lay the two snakes side by side on clingfilm then roll the clingfilm tightly together to form one two tone snake! Divide into approx 15 and roll into balls.
8. Store in fridge in sealed container (note the cacao nibs lose their crunch fairly quickly) or freeze and defrost briefly before eating.