Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate: Triple Chocolate Cookies

Growing up I was blessed with an amazing life. I had (and continue to have) an amazing family who showered me with lots of love..... and lots of food. My grandma showed love with boxes of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls, Fudge Rounds and Oatmeal Cream Pies; my grandpa opted for Wendy's Bacon Cheeseburgers. My mom rewarded us for good behavior with trips to McDonald's for Chicken McNuggets and my dad was the finest Spam and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese chef in the contiguous U.S. My many talented aunts celebrated holidays with vats of bacon laden, cheese laden, butter laden deliciousness and to this day we still celebrate family gatherings with buckets of world famous, lard fried "Barberton Chicken."

It wasn't until many years later, during nursing school, that I had my first class in nutrition and became aware that this type of lifestyle wasn't the way to take good care of my heart or my body. Since then I have been on a continuous mission to educate myself about better food choices and take small but consistent steps to improve my diet.

Now, I won't delude anyone into thinking that these cookies are "healthy," however, they are "healthier" and if you're craving chocolate they absolutely fit the bill. Even better, you don't have to venture into the scary inner isles of the grocery store and pick up anything claiming to be "low fat, 100 calorie, sugar free, or whole grain" and walk away disappointed because everything is laden with disgusting chemicals.

So what makes these cookies "healthier" you ask!? The substitution of whole wheat flour and coconut sugar actually gives these cookies some nutritional value. You get fiber, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, Vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6 in addition to having an overall lower glycemic index from the coconut sugar! Pretty cool right!

The original recipe required very little modification and I'm happy to give credit to GoDairyFree.org for supplying the original recipe { http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/sweet-dairy-free-sundays-triple-chocolate-brownie-cookies }.  This is a great resource for those of you who are new to the diary free life style as well!

MILK FREE TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Makes a scant 3 dozen

• 2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated organic vegetable shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the baking chocolate and shortening together and allow to cool slightly. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder and salt. In a separate medium-large bowl beat the eggs and sugar together and stir in the chocolate mixture. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture being cautious not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

*Note, this is a 1/2 batch as compared to the original recipe and it required almost double the time to bake, however, if you want a super soft cookie you could try the original. Also, they look NOTHING like the picture in the original recipe. I even tried smooshing down the tops with a moistened glass; no dice.

These triple chocolate cookies are a great substitute when you're looking for a healthier alternative to traditional chocolate treats!

Peace,
Laura

 

Plum Crazy: Milk Free Plum Crumble

Over the years I've accumulated binders full of amazing recipes that are as dependable as the day is long; they're fun to make, fun to eat and fun to share. One of those recipes is Martha Stewart's Plum Crumble. {Check out the original recipe here: http://www.marthastewart.com/356445/plum-crumble?search_key=plum%20tart }

Martha's Plum Crumble is a great summer picnic recipe and a great winter comfort recipe. It's also loaded with butter and heavy cream and served with ice cream or whipped cream. You can see why I love it right!?!?

Last week I was at the produce market and happened upon a haul of plums for $.99! My brain immediately started lusting after Plum Crumble and I raced home to my binders to create a dairy free version of this outstanding recipe.

MILK FREE PLUM CRUMBLE
Makes 1; 9 inch crumble

• 1 1/4 cups sugar divided (plus additional sanding sugar for sprinkling on top)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup vegan buttery spread, non hydrogenated shortening or coconut oil
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut or almond milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5-6 plums, pitted and cut into eighths

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk together 1 cup of sugar, salt, and the flour. Using a pastry blender cut in the buttery spread until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Divide the mixture in half and separate into two bowls. Set aside half. In one bowl add the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and 1 egg; mix until well blended and press into the bottom of a 9 inch shallow baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until firm and golden brown.

While the crust is baking, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, the remaining egg, the coconut/almond milk, and the almond and vanilla extracts and set aside.

Remove the crust from the oven, top with the plum slices and pour the cream mixture over the plums. Sprinkle the reserved half of the butter/flour mixture over top and sprinkle the sanding sugar over the top. Bake until the topping is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.

Can be served with dairy free ice cream or coconut whipped "cream." Devour and enjoy!

I truly feel this adaptation does the original Plum Crumble justice! I hope you'll enjoy this recipe in your own collection for years to come!

Peace,
Laura