Preheat the oven to 350°F & line a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, cream together the palm shortening, maple syrup, and molasses. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir in the vanilla extract and combine well until all ingredients are blended and form a dough. The dough will be sticky and firm.

Transfer the dough to a clean piece of parchment paper. Top with another piece of parchment paper and roll out flat with a rolling pin. Use a round cookie cutter to cut 9 round cookies, rolling out the dough again with the scraps of dough if more surface area is needed.

Transfer the cut dough to the baking sheet, evenly spaced. Bake for 12 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown.

Carefully transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before decorating. Transfer the cookies to a parchment lined plate or platter.

To add the popsicle stick on the back, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave at 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted. Working with one at a time, turn the tip a the popsicle in the chocolate and place it on the flat side of one of the cookies. Place the cookie on the parchment paper, with the popsicle stick side up. Repeat with all of the cookies. Transfer to the freezer for 10-15 minutes or until the chocolate is fully set. Turn the cookies over to decorate.

To make the nose, combine the frosting with beet powder until you reach your desired color. Add to a piping bag and dot a nose in the center of the cookie. Either leave this as is, or add a baking chip for more dimension.

To draw the face and antlers, use a tooth pick and the remainder of the melted chocolate. Dip the tooth pick in the chocolate and slowly draw eyes, a mouth, and antlers on each cookie. Transfer the cookies back to the fridge to allow the chocolate to set before enjoying!