A healthy cookie can be a real treat when you want to eat something sweet and tasty. Whether it is chocolate chips, peanut butter, or sugar – cookies are deliciously comforting – but not good for your diet. Baking cookies usually lead to a predicament – one cookie is never enough! That’s why healthy alternatives are always a good idea.
In order to help you with this delicious problem, we offer you an amazing cookie recipe made with nutritious ingredients.
So, go ahead – ease your sweet tooth with this delectable treat.
Fun Facts About Cookies
- The Animal Cracker was the first commercial cookie in the USA was, introduced in 1902.
- The Oreo was developed by the American company Nabisco, in 1912, and was the best-selling cookie of the 20th century,
- The National Sugar Cookie Day is July 9th.
- The National Cookie Day is December 4th.
- Americans are the world’s leading cookie bakers and consumers, spending up to $550 million yearly on Oreos alone.
- The Girl Scouts first started selling cookies in the 1920s.
- In 1989, New Mexico entitled the ‘bizcochito’ its certified state cookie. The term Bizcochito, originates from the Spanish word ‘bizcocho’ that means biscuit, is a tasty shortbread cookie spiced with anise and cinnamon sugar.
- There is a National Cookie Cutter Historical Museum in the U.S – situated in the Joplin Museum Complex in Joplin, Missouri.
- The chocolate chip cookie is the official state cookie of both Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
- Early American tinsmiths commenced making cookies by hand back in the 1700s.
- The popular Christmas cookie dates back to Medieval Europe.
- American cookie jars developed from British biscuit jars and first appeared during the Depression in the 1930s when many housewives started making more homemade cookies, rather than buying them, and needed containers for them.
Cookie Names in Other Countries:
- Biscuits-Australia and England
- Biscotti or Amaretti –Italy
- Galletas-Spain
- Platzchen or Keks-Germany
- Koekje-Dutch
- Bis Coctum-Latin
Half the homemade cookies, baked in the U.S homes every year, are chocolate chip cookies.
Delicious Healthy Cookie Recipe
Following, I present you my favorite healthy cookie recipe. These cookies are really easy to prepare and very tasty! You can eat them while watching TV, or have some in the morning with your favorite tea, coffee, or even with a delicious fresh fruit juice.
You will need:
- 160 gr/ 5.6 oz. flour (as interest in gluten-free cooking and baking and whole grains has exploded, you have many flour options. Some of the best choices include flours made from non-wheat grains such as corn, buckwheat, and oat those made from almond, coconut, and even beans.)
For this recipe, I used barley flour (Per 1/4 cup: 109 cal., 0 g fat, 21 g carbs (0 g sugar), 3 g protein, 3 mg sodium, 5 g fiber) – but you can use any flour you like, even a regular, white flour. Below you can find some useful tips.
- 200 gr/7 oz cocoa cream/ vegan chocolate cream / organic hazelnut cream (any healthy alternative to Nutella)
- 1 organic egg (get your egg from small local farmers you have direct contact with if you want a fresh organic egg)
- A handful of crushed nuts for decoration (I used walnuts and hazelnuts)
Preparation:
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them together until you get a nice, homogeneous mixture.
- Drop cookies by rounded spoonful onto ungreased baking paper.
- Finally, stir in some crushed nuts into each cookie.
- Bake in preheated oven at 180°C /356 °F for exactly 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Let cool on baking sheet 1 – 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate and let cool completely before you serve them.
Bon Appétit!
Tips for Using Alternative Flours
- When using gluten-free flours and white flour substitutes, you usually have to combine a few flours in order to get the same or similar taste and texture. Here are some tips:
- When using whole wheat or other flour, sift the flour 2-3 times to incorporate some air into for baking.
- Try placing a little bit of vital wheat gluten to substitute flours.
- Try adding 2.5 teaspoons of baking powder per 1 cup of flour to lighten recipes.
- Adding a little more fat (preferably the healthy kind) to recipes can aid keep the product light, like in pancakes.
- After combining dry and wet ingredients, let the batter sit for about 10-15 minutes so the flour can absorb the liquid.
