Seriously healthy cookies!!

A friend brought some delicious coconut chocolate cookies she made last night, I was inspired to play off her recipe and create these delicious, airy cookies that are so healthy, you can even eat them for breakfast!

2 eggs
1 C. almond flour
1 C. shredded coconut
1/2 C. wheat germ
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbs. cinnamon
3 Tbs. agave or honey
1/4 C. apple sauce
1 mashed banana
3 tbs. oil
1/4 C. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mixture will be moist, but if mixture seems too wet, add another 1/2 C. almond flour. Bake on a Silpat mat for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch.

Breakfast cookies

Mornings in our house are usually very hectic, and while I love the idea of a warm healthy breakfast, most mornings I'm just hoping the kids have brushed their hair before leaving the house. I made these yesterday and the kids (and I) loved them, they're the perfect grab-n-go breakfast or snack.

1/2 C. (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
3/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 C. maple/agave syrup
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. wheat germ
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground apple or pumpkin pie spice
pinch of salt
3 C. Quaker Oats (old fashioned, uncooked)

Optional mix-ins- ¼ C. each- dried cherries, toasted almonds, shredded coconut, mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and maple/agave syrup on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.

Add eggs, bananas and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, wheat germ, baking soda, apple pie spice and salt; mix well. Add oats and optional mix-ins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto Silpat lined cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack and after a few minutes store in a ziplock bag to keep cookies soft.

Dark chocolate cherry chunk cookies

I am doing a Gifts from the Kitchen segment tomorrow morning on WTNH at 7:50 a.m. on Channel 8 and wanted to share a fantastic cookie recipe with you. These cookies are very chocolately and easy to make.

I am going to make the cookie dough and and give the dough as the gift. That way the recipient can make the cookies whenever they'd like.

Wrap the cookie dough log in parchment paper, then in festive tissue. Don't forget to add the baking instructions on a pretty tag.

This recipe can also be doubled.

Dark Chocolate cherry chunk cookies


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
6 oz dark chocolate, chunks
1 cup dried cherries


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Add chocolate chunks and cherries and mix until just incorporated.
Drop 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie about 2 inches apart onto 2 ungreased large baking sheets.
Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until puffed and set, 7-8 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

Joy of cookies!

Happy Holiday everyone!!!

I had my last day of work for the 2007 year, and what a year it was! Business was the best it's been, thanks to my fantastic clients, and catering brought my workload up to a frenzied pitch...

I treated myself to a good loooong massage this afternoon and a movie with a friend. We was Sweeney Todd which was excellent, but rather gruesome.

Anyhow, I came home and got to work preparing sugar cookies for our cookie decorating day tomorrow in preparation for the big man in red. We used the Joy of Cooking Sugar cookie recipe, it's super easy to make, but don't forget to let your butter come to room temp. for at least 1 day before you make these- do NOT skimp and try to microwave the butter, it throws the consistency of the cookie way off. Here's the recipe we used tonight. Roll the cookies out as thin as you can on a well floured work space and bake them until they are just cooked through, they shouldn't have any color to them.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until very fluffy and well blended. Add and beat in the egg, baking powder, salt, and vanilla until evenly incorporated. Stir in flour until well blended and smooth.

Roll the dough out on floured parchment paper if using immediately, if not, roll into a ball and cover with saran wrap until ready to use.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

Working with 1 portion of dough (leave the other refrigerated), gently peel away and replace 1 sheet of the wax paper. (This will make it easier to lift the cookies from the paper later.) Peel off and discard the second layer. Using 2- or 3-inch cutters, cut out cookies. With a wide spatula, carefully transfer them from the wax paper to the cookie sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.


Bake for 6 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are just slightly colored. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cookies firm up, 1 to 2 minutes, Then transfer the cookies to wire racks and let stand until thoroughly cool.