Mobile bumpies: Anyone want to be my taste-tester? (XP from Aug '11)
It's nothing official, I just want to know if the flavor of this cookie recipe is as appropriate as I think it is. It is probably 20 minutes' worth of more work than a typical homemade cookie recipe, but if you (and your family!) are down to give me some feedback I'd really appreciate it!
First, some background and my goal. You guys have probably already seen me mention the real-food challenge I'm on. I've had some people insinuate that I'm somehow depriving my children by not allowing them to eat sweets and another snack items that are rich with preservatives, dyes, hydrogenated oils, and, most especially, SUGAR. They all think I'm doing something off-the-wall by eliminating refined sugars from our diet and replacing them with naturally-occurring sweeteners (like honey). Challenge accepted.
This is a two-part recipe that calls for 1)
making homemade honey-sweetened chocolate chips (as an alternative to
storebought semi-sweet chips, which are, of course, made with typical
refined sugar, and 2) making honey-sweetened chocolate chip cookies with
said chips.
Here are the recipes.
Honey-Sweetened Chocolate Chips
3 Tbsp 100% unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp butter (stick butter with no funky ingredients)
1 1/2 Tbsp pure (real) honey
Melt the butter however you like - in the microwave on reduced power or in a saucepan. You don't want the butter sizzling, just gently melt it. Add the honey and mix until well-incorporated. Add the cocoa powder and mix well. Pour onto freezer paper on a baking sheet and place in the freezer until hardened, then crush into chunks. Store in the freezer until ready to use.
No-Sugar, Honey-Sweetened Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups whole wheat (or at least unbleached) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon (real) vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Homemade chocolate chunks
Heat your oven to 375 F. Prep a baking sheet so it's all nonstick and junk. In one bowl, combine the dry ingredients except for chocolate. In a second bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Then add the dry to the wet and mix well. The batter should be relatively thick, but still smooth and easy to scoop. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Place on baking sheet by rounded tablespoonfuls, about an inch or so apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a dish or other cookie-holding vessel.
They'll be cakey in consistency, so they'll look pretty puffy when they come out of the oven. All the better to absorb milk, my dears. And the best part is that sugar-restricted folks can have these too!
Someone please try this and PM me telling me what you think! I think I've nailed it, but it could just be a case of tasting what I want to taste, if that makes any sense.
// I love you too. //
Re: Anyone want to be my taste-tester? (XP from Aug '11)
I strongly dislike the taste of Stevia, so I won't use it, but thanks for the suggestion!
It's actually becoming more commonly accepted that monitored use of natural, raw honey can improve diabetics' blood sugar levels over time. It has a lower Glycemic Index and the sugars are absorbed differently and more slowly. If a diabetic wanted to try this they'd probably be able to because the amount of honey that ends up in each cookie is negligible. Part of the challenge is to use only ingredients that occur naturally, so every label on everything I've purchased has been checked and our honey is 100% pure honey - trust me when I say I've given HFCS the boot, hard!
Thanks for offering to give the recipe a try - PM me and let me know how it turns out for you!
// I love you too. //
Woohoo! Don't forget to let me know how it turns out!
// I love you too. //
Wee! Let me know how they work out!
// I love you too. //
I'll take it! Let me know how they work out for you!
// I love you too. //