The 'Less Is More' Healthy Cookie

Here's one for you: flour-less, egg-less, butter-less (and potentially sugar-less) cookies! I know what you may thinking, "You're losing it, Liz", but as unappealing as it may sound (for a cookie), I was intrigued by the ingredients (or lack thereof). Honestly, as much as I wanted to try them, I didn't think that they were going to be this good (and that I'd keep going back for more)... Sweetened and held together by overly ripened bananas and almond meal; mixed with rolled oats and chocolate, they really are a treat. And one that you can feel good about eating, at that.

I'm so happy to have found this recipe, as it's going to have to become a regular when I'm craving a chewy , delicious treat. Filled with chocolate and smelling of sweet, ripe bananas and Cinnamon - you can't go wrong. I owe it all to 101 Cookbooks (once again) and her article on her friend, Nikki's 'Healthy Cookies' recipe. In my version, I used both dark chocolate chunks and carob chips; coconut oil was replaced with olive oil since it would be one less thing to buy, and almond meal/flour was out of my price range, so I made my own by pulsing raw almonds in my Cuisinart to a fine, sand-like consistency (beware not to over do it, or else you'll end up with almond butter).

The 'Less Is More' Healthy Cookie (Nikki's Cookies)

Yields about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies

Ingredients

- 3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil)
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2/3 cup almond meal
- 1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips, carob chips or dark chocolate bar - chopped

Preheat oven to 350*F, racks in the top third.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut/olive oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips. The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, but don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto an oiled pan. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. I baked these until golden brown on top, but soft on the inside. They were perfect. About 17 minutes baking time in my oven.

Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies (sweetened with Agave Nectar)

This recipe excites me. Not just because it was right up my experimental alley (black beans, come on!), but because it gave me an opportunity to bake with something I've been really curious about using as of late: Agave Nectar (also known as "Nectar of The Gods" or "honey water"). Agave Nectar is made from the same cactus plant that tequila comes from, and is considered to be a healthier alternative to refined white sugars and other common sweeteners. It is also great for those on a vegan diet as it works as the perfect replacement to honey. I've seen Agave Nectar at the store, but never really stopped to check it out, until I saw that my Trader Joe's was selling Organic Blue Agave Nectar (not actually blue) for $2.99 for just under 12 ounces (you don't need to use much). Now, it is something I highly recommend!

I found this amazing Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownie recipe from the recipe journal, 101 Cookbooks (of which I adore). This recipe was discovered from the cookbook, 'Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener'. I wish I could take credit for this concoction as it's sheer genius, but author Ania Catalano really deserves a round of applause. I know, you must be thinking "Black beans as a brownie base? Ick. Get outta town.", but honestly - these were one of the better brownies I have ever tasted. If I served these babies at a party, and didn't tell anyone - you wouldn't have guessed their "special ingredient" - yes, a different kind of "special ingredient". They're chewy, rich and due to the the coffee substitute (instant coffee, in my case), they just taste like decadent, little espresso brownies. For those of you curious enough to grab the can-opener, here is the recipe:

Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies

Yields 45 2" brownies

Ingredients

- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 2 cups soft cooked beans (canned is fine - I bought 2 - you should have a 1/2 cup leftover)
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup granulated natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee for those for the more gluten-sensitive)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup light agave nectar

Tools

- Cuisinart (blender might work, too)

(I tweaked my recipe a little by not using walnuts, and adding 2 tablespoons of flax seed for the heck of it.)
Preheat oven to 325* F.
Lightly oil baking pan(s).
Melt chocolate and butter together.
Place beans, 1/2 cup walnuts, vanilla and a couple spoonfuls of the chocolate/butter mixture in Cuisinart. Mix. Should be thick and smooth.
In a large bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining chocolate/butter mix, coffee substitute and salt. Mix well and set aside.
Beat eggs in a separate bowl until light and creamy. Add Agave and beat well. Set aside.
Add bean/chocolate mix to coffee/chocolate mix and stir.
Add egg mix (reserving 1/2 cup). Mix and pour into pan(s).
Beat remaining 1/2 cup of egg mix until light and fluffy. Drizzle over batter and create a marble effect using a knife or toothpick.
Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Store in refrigerator and enjoy!

Torte and Stout

For all of you chocolate devotees, this flour-less chocolate torte passed down from my grandmother, is sensational. Moist, rich and oh-so-decadent, you really only need a sliver. Top it off with a little bit of fresh fruit, or a dusting of powdered sugar, and you're set! I made this awhile back for when we were having a friend from New York come stay with us. With how good it came out, you wouldn't have been able to guess how simple it actually was to construct. Paired with a piping hot cup of herbal tea, you really couldn't get much better. All I will say is that the boys did a pretty good job at devouring it...

La Pigna's Chocolate-Almond Torte

This rich, dense cake develops a fuller flavor if made a day ahead. It is marvelous topped with a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream. This country-style torte is famous on the Isle of Capri and the recipe is from LaPigna Restaurant, 30 Via Lo Palazzo.

Ingredients:

- 6 1/2 oz. (squares) unsweetened chocolate (you can get away with using a 12 oz. bag of semisweet chocolate chips)
- 2 C whole, blanched almonds (or walnuts for a cheaper alternative, however I didn't use any)
- 7 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick + 5 tablespoons unsalted, room temperature butter
- powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Tools:

- 8-inch spring form pan
- blender or food processor

1) Preheat oven to 350*F. Butter the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan and line with parchment paper. Lightly flour sides and bottom.
2) In a food processor/blender, grind 2 cups whole blanched almonds and 6 1/2 oz. (squares) unsweetened chocolate) to a medium/fine consistency.
3) In a medium mixing bowl, beat 7 egg yolks and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy (if working by hand, just do your best, i know it can be a workout!). Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter plus another 5 Tbs., softened to room temp and beaten until smooth.
4) Add nut-chocolate mix and beat until well blended. Batter may be dense; scrape into prepared pan.
5) Bake in the lower third of the oven for 45 minutes, or until fork comes out clean.
6) Let cool for 5 minutes, pop out of pan and after cooled, serve with powdered sugar on top.

Enjoy!

ChocolateChunkCoconutCranberryCookies!

Baking always puts me in a great mood. There's something very meditative about it (that and organizing my refrigerator - I know, I know). In celebration of getting my very first job call back in weeks since I've been laid off, I decided to celebrate by making a batch of experimental goodies! The past couple of days, through various baking blogs, I've come across these gorgeous recipes for chocolate chip cookies with cherries. Brilliant! A little sweet, a little tart - just what I've been hankering for! However, upon pulling up to the bulk section in my local grocery store, I realized, for the sake of my bank account, I should opt for dried cranberries as a cheaper alternative, which would still give me that great tang. I also decided to pick up some coconut flakes, as I just discovered I love the texture they lend to baked goods since trying my aunt's banana bread over for the weekend (have a look at her, and friend Lisa's delicious business - Sweet Eva's!).

Once home, I went straight to Martha, and chose to use her 'Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip' recipe. A little bit of this and a little bit of that, later, I had my own one-of-a-kind-Liz-creation! Hands down, guys, best cookies I have ever made in my life. I was so proud. They were soft, and almost cupcake like with their thickness, with the perfect ratio of sweet and sour and a great bit of extra texture to break up those big bites!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cranberry Coconut Cookies

Yields 3 dozen

Ingredients:

- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups chocolate chips/chunks
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (to taste)
- 1 cup dried coconut (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350*. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (don't worry if you don't have an electric mixer, I just whisked it by hand!). Set flour and other dry ingredients aside in a bowl together. Mix vanilla and eggs in with the butter and sugar and add coconut. With a wooden spoon, mix dry and wet ingredients together. Add chocolate and cranberries.
Spoon cookies onto a non-stick/buttered cookie sheet and put in oven for about 8-10 minutes (you may want to check midway to see if you need to rotate your sheet).


Voila! Beautiful, yummy, fluffy cookies at your disposal. I've really enjoyed this experiment and now can't stop thinking about all the other wonderful things I could incorporate into cookies - dried blueberries, dried apricots and peaches - the possibilities are endless! So please, if you have any brilliant ideas, please feel free to share them with me!

Until then - happy baking!