"Nutritious and Delicious"- A cookie with Goodness- Chocolate Almond Cookies

Want to eat your Cookie and feel good about it too? You are at the right place!! In my mania of ' eating good foods'...here is one more recipe I tried last week.

The cookies came out chocolaty, nutty, fulfilling and tasted delicious.They had a unique texture....not chewy...not crispy...not crumbly either...but  something in between!! You got to try it.Even my picky little 'E' loved those. For him ..I made little 'cupcake cookies' with the same cookie dough.

I call them" A cookie with goodness' because they have- half -whole wheat flour in the recipe, has oat meal, has almonds, flax seed meal....all good for you!

Ingredients: Makes 24 cookies/ cupcake cookies

3/4 cup Whole wheat flour

3/4 cup All purpose flour

1/2cup Oat meal ( pulse quick cooking oats in a mixer and powder them)

1/4 cup Flax seed meal

1/3 cup Almonds finely chopped ( see the white specks in the cookies?..Those are the almonds)

1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup Light brown sugar

1/2cup white sugar

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

5 tbsp butter (room temperature)

1/4cup canola oil

1Egg

1/4tsp salt

1tsp Baking powder

1/2tsp Baking soda

1tsp Vanilla essence

2tsp water

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 325F. Spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray. If you want to make 'Cupcake cookies'...spray the mini muffin pan with non stick spray.

2)Beat the butter +Eggs+ Sugar.

3) Add all of the above ingredients and mix.

4) Mold into small balls and flatten/ press into mini muffin pans

5) Bake at 325F for 15 mins. Let them cool

6) You can frost the cupcake cookies with 'chocolate butter cream frosting' or other frosting of your choice.

Butter Cream frosting:

1/4 cup room temperature butter

1/2cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2tsp Vanilla essence

Mix together. Add few drops of water to achieve desired consistency

Frost the cookies when cooled

"Appetizers"- Mini 'biscuit' pizzas/ Veggie Focaccia

At times..I love being a "Semi homemade' type cook. I loveee cooking ...but with 2 little ones on hand...I tell you..it gets tough at times!!
I find myself looking for short cuts and easy to make dishes that taste and look good too! Like Sandra Lee (food network) - use some store bought ready -to- use ingredients and cook in minutes!

Here is one such recipe.....I used store bought buttermilk 'Biscuit' Dough as a base for these mini pizzas or Focaccias.

The possibilities for the toppings can be endless but here are a few ideas-
1)Broccoli,Onion and Cheese

2) Tomatoes and Broccoli-

3) Roasted Chicken(I used store bought Rotisserie chicken),Onions and Green peppers

Ingredients:

* For Broccoli-Onion-Cheese topping

1 can Small size buttermilk Biscuit dough

1/2 cup chopped broccoli

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2cup shredded cheese

1/4 cup Ketchup

1tsp Italian herbs

salt and pepper

1/2tsp chili flakes

2tsp olive oil

Method:

1) Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet. Pre heat the oven as directed on the biscuit dough can.

2) Mix the chopped onions,broccoli,herbs,chili flakes,salt and pepper

3) Make a 'well' in the biscuits by pressing fingers in the dough.

4) Spread a tsp of ketchup and place a spoonful of the veggie mixture on top.

5) Bake as directed till golden brown

6) Sprinkle a tsp of Shredded cheese on top.Serve Hot!

"Nutritious and Delicious"- "Fat free" and "Good for you" Chocolate-Banana-Walnut Muffins

Wow...I am really doing this...totally into "Nutritious and Delicious" mode!!! "Fat free" muffins?? Seriously???

Yeah..I had couple bananas sitting in the fruit rack and a trip planned to Chicago for the long weekend. I had to use up the bananas and also make some snack for the kids for the trip.I found this amazing recipe which fell into "Nutritious and Delicious" category of my blog.
http://www.handletheheat.com/2011/04/chocolate-banana-muffins.html
Totally went for it with some modifications...and let me tell ya...you are not going to miss that butter/ oil in those yummyliciously nutritious muffins!
They are so moist with the bananas and apple sauce....And the whole wheat flour,the flax seed meal and the walnuts make them 'good for you'!! The Feel good Indulgence!!

Ingredients:
2 ripe Bananas
4 oz Applesauce
1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/2 cup All purpose flour
1tbsp Flax seed meal
1 Egg
1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa
1/4 cup Dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup Sugar
1tsp Baking powder
1tsp Baking soda
1/4tsp Salt
Few Walnuts chopped

Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 375F. Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners
2) Mash the banana with fork and potato masher.Mix applesauce, egg and sugar with the bananas.
3) Sift all the dry ingredients together.
4) Mix the wet and dry ingredients just till well combined.DO NOT OVERMIX!
5) Fold in the chocolate chips and stir twice.
6) Pour in the muffin pans till 3/4th full. Add few chopped walnuts on top. Makes 12 muffins

7) Bake at 375F for 20 mins.Check with toothpick if properly baked. The toothpick should come out clean.

8) Cool on a rack. Store in airtight container at room temperature for upto 3 days or store in refrigerator.

 You will love indulging yourself into the chocolaty goodness that is so good for you ...they truly are Yummylicously Nutritious!!!