Cookies are the ideal dessert in some ways because they are very portable. Bake up a batch, freeze in a zippered freezer bag, and pack one with your healthy snacks and lunch to take with you anywhere.
GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE COOKIES
If you like German chocolate cake, that is, chocolate with coconut, you will absolutely love these drop cookies.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa, unsweetened
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup applesauce
1 cup raw honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Lightly grease three baking sheets. Or line with foil and grease, for easy clean-ups. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large glass bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together the butter, honey, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs.
- Working in small batches, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones until fully incorporated.
- Place the chocolate chips, coconut and pecans over the top of the batter, spreading evenly.
- Then fold them into the batter until fully incorporated.
- Using a tablespoon, drop a rounded spoonful of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat to form more cookies, placing them a distance apart, until you have filled the first baking sheet.
- Bake about 9 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are cooked in the center and they are not burning.
- Insert a wooden toothpick into the middle of several cookies to check for doneness it – should come out clean.
- When the cookies have reached desired doneness, remove them from the oven and slide them off the baking sheets and onto a rack to cool.
- Repeat steps 8 through 11 until the entire batch of dough has been used up.
THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Ingredients
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup any flavor fruit jam or pie filling
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300F.
- Grease 2 cookie sheets, or line with foil and grease for easy cleanups.
- Separate the egg and keep the white, placing it in a small bowl.
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and egg yolk.
- Add the vanilla, flour and salt, mixing well.
- Shape the dough into small balls.
- Whisk the egg white.
- Roll the balls in the egg white.
- Place the balls on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven.
- Using your thumb or the back of a small spoon, make a dent in the center of each cookie.
- Put the jelly or preserves into each indentation.
- Bake for another 8 minutes, or until the cookies reach your desired firmness.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minute so no one burns their mouths on the hot fruit.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies, with a carb count of 90 plus the carb count of the jam adding up to the net cabs for the entire recipe.
