A super yummy Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

 

The other day I felt like a batch of chocolate chip cookies, but with a party filled weekend on the horizon I didn't really want to fill the kids up with empty sweets, so I decided to modify my favorite cookie recipe and make it a bit healthier.

You'll notice I call them Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies, not health cookies or anything ridiculous like that.

They are modified to incorporate wholemeal (wholewheat) flour, reduce the butter by half and include some fruit. But they still include sugar and chocolate so a health food they are not.

If you would like to make them even healthier you could replace the chocolate chips with cranberries or sultana's. Or perhaps part white chocolate and part cranberries might be a nice halfway concession.

The finished cookie is not a thin crisp one, it is a dense, more cake like cookie, which luckily is the type I prefer. It's quite substantial and makes a great after school snack with a glass of milk.

Oh and those too cute for words little spotted cups are mini latte cups by Greengate. In case you have not noticed I am kinda obsessed with their range at the moment.

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 16 cookies)

I used just under 1 lady finger banana - I find it's best to weigh as there can be such a variance with fruit sizes and although the recipe will still work it will make a difference to the finished cookie. Weight conversions are rounded.

1 1/2 cups plain wholemeal flour (whole wheat all purpose flour)
1 tsp bi carb soda (baking soda)
60 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
60 g (2 oz) banana cut into pieces
1 large egg at room temperature
1/4 cup caster sugar (super fine sugar or use granulated if you can't find superfine)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a couple of baking trays with parchment paper.

Sift the flour and bi-carb (baking soda), when you are finished DO NOT DISCARD the flour husks you must tip all the fibre back into the flour and bi-carb mixture.

In a large bowl cream the butter and both sugars for 2 minutes using an electric mixer at medium-high (or high if you are using a hand mixer), add the banana and continue to mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture is smooth.

Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla mixing in between each addition until combined and scraping down the sides as required.

With the mixer still on low add the flour mixture until combined, do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

Shape 1 1/2 Tbsp (2 US TBSP) of mixture into a cookie shape on the parchment lined trays and bake for 10 - 13 minutes until the cookies are turning golden.

 This recipe is a modified version of my recipe for Full of Chocolate Chip Cookies on page 64 of my book Sweets on a Stick which is available to buy online, click the links below for Amazon and Fishpond.

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Chocolate Chip cookie dough cheesecakes

I like cheesecake.

When I was growing up we lived within a 5 minute walk of a cheesecake shop. They had a baked cheesecake with a kinda jellied blueberry top that was sooooo delicious.

They didn't have a chocolate chip cookie dough baked cheesecake though, not that I remember, and I'm pretty sure I would as it may have given my favorite blueberry a run for it's money.

Anyway I've been playing around a bit with my basic mini cheesecake recipe. In case you have missed my previous posts I have already shared a Rocky Road, a Chocolate Rocky Road and decadent Dulce de leche versions.

and now I'm ready to share these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Baked Cheesecakes.

Yup read the words Oreo, Cookie Dough and Cheesecake.


I'm one of those people that doesn't lick the bowl of cake batter and cookie dough because I know it has raw egg in it.

So for many years I have had a recipe for eggless cookie dough - which is pretty much take your favorite cookie recipe substituting around 1 Tbsp of milk for each egg.  You can add it to icecream, make cookie dough cake pops with it, eat it straight out of the bowl......or add it to cheesecake.

Pretty sweet huh!

The amount of cookie dough I have provided in the recipe will yield enough to top the batch of cheesecakes with cookie dough. Which I feel is kinda enough cookie dough.

But if you really really like cookie dough you might like to add a layer over the Oreo Cookie (like in the above pictures). If your one of the super cookie dough lovers just double up the batch of raw cookie dough, and then increase the number of muffin cases and Oreo Cookies as the Mini Cheesecake yield will increase to around 20 -24.


Y'all can make them however you like. I'm not gonna judge you. How much cookie dough you like is between you and your cheesecake.

Cheesecakes can be served as they are or with a warm chocolate ganache. The chocolate in the picture is actually a fudgy chocolate sauce I made up but sorry to say I lost my recipe notes for it before I typed them up so it's not included with the recipe below.

Don't worry though I am making the ultimate sacrifice and retesting until I get it perfect again and this time I won't lose those notes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Mini Baked Cheesecakes
makes 14 large Texas muffin sized cheesecakes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
This batch makes enough to top the cheesecakes. If you would like a layer on the bottom of the cheesecake as well double the ingredients in this recipe.

1 cup plain (All purpose) flour
75 grams (3oz) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp (2 US Tbsp) Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Sift the flour and set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer at high speed cream (mix together) the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium low, add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Then reduce speed to low and mix in the flour until completely combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix in by hand.

For the purpose of the cheesecakes make break small pieces off the dough and roll into balls. (My kids love to help with this step)

Cheesecakes

14 Oreo Cookies (or up to 24 if you are making the version with cookie dough layer on the bottom as well)
625g (21oz) cream cheese at room temperature
1 tin condensed milk
3 large eggs at room temperature
14 large muffin papers (I bought these ones from woolies)
Cookie dough (see recipe above)

Preheat oven to 140C (280 F)

Line the muffin tins with the muffin/cupcake papers. Place one single oreo in the bottom of each paper.

If you have decided to go all out and have the extra layer of cookie dough - press down into the case an amount of cookie dough about equal to the size of the Oreo cookie at this stage. (remember you will have to have doubled your cookie dough yield to do this and you will also need to reduce the amount of cheesecake mixture you add to the cases it will be a scant 1/4 cup)

Beat the cream cheese using a mixer at medium speed until just smooth, add the condensed milk and mix until combined. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined.


Spoon the mixture into the large muffin papers dividing mixture evenly between the papers. If you are using large ones like I did you can add a scant 1/3 cup to each and make 14, if you only have smaller cupcake cases do not overfill the cases as the mixture will rise a little during baking, make them just over 3/4 full and you will probably get around 20 cakes.

Bake for 10 mins. Remove from oven and working quickly add the balls of chocolate chip cookie dough to the top of the cheesecakes. You do not need to push them down just throw them on top of the cheesecakes.

Return to the oven and bake a further 15 minutes.

They will be cooked when the cookie mixture starts to set but before it turns golden. Although if you prefer a crunch you can leave it a couple of extra minutes until the dough starts to turn golden.

Allow to cool in the trays for 10-15min and then pop in an airtight container in the fridge until chilled.

and here is the link to my book Sweets on a Stick it is a US Release however there is a conversion chart in the back to the book for metric.It's available from bookstores in the US and here online at:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Muffins for Easter and the new Peekaboo magazine

Before you get too taken away with these Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Muffins I have to mention that Peekaboo Magazine has published an original recipe I created in their latest March Issue.

Yay for me!

They are super delicious Cranberry Hot Cross Muffins made with wholemeal flour and macadamia oil, so you won't feel so bad about popping them into the kids lunchbox or serving them for Easter brunch.

While I was waiting for the magazine to come out I had a bit of a craving for them, but decided to modify the recipe a bit and came up with these wholemeal chocolate chip hot cross muffins.

I'm thinking the wholemeal flour cancels out any potential unhealthy qualities in the chocolate (# note I'm not actually a qualified nutritionist so it's possible and probable this information could be completely incorrect).

and if you like the colour combination on my photo's here I'm gonna have to admit I totally stole it from Sharnel Dollar who styled the Peekaboo Shoot.

I didn't however steal the cute little baskets in the above shots, I bought those from Sharnel's online store. How completely perfect are they for Easter treats.

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Muffin Recipe after jump

Peanut Butter choc chip Whoopie pies

You can probably tell by the pictures that these Whoopie Pies were a valentine treat made with lots of sweet love.

Yup in the lead up to Feb 14th I really think I can put a heart onto anything. But don't worry hearts or not these whoopie pies are actually a perfect anytime treat.

Originally I made the heart toppers and popped them into some mini cupcakes, but alas my valentine does not care for overly sweet cupcakes.

Then someone asked me to make up a batch of whoopie pies for their special valentine and I realised I had my solution (thank you Anna).

I find that the classic marshmallow filling below makes enough to join 2 batches of whoopies cakes, so I made up one plain chocolate chip for my friend and then modified the peanut butter whoopie recipe from "Whoopie Pies" by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell to incorporate chocolate chips.

You can pick it up for a good price with free delivery at The Book Depository

Recipe after jump

Black bottom oreo cupcakes a variation on a delicious favourite

What is it about adding an oreo cookie to the bottom of a cupcake that makes such a difference. I don't even really care for them on their own. Oreo's that is, their Ok but gimme a home baked cookie any time instead and I'm much happier.

But on the bottom of a cupcake, especially a cheesecake type cupcake and it's a different story.

Oreo + Cupcake =  Delicious

This Black Bottom Cupcake is adapted from the More from Magnolia cookbook. It's a chocolate base topped with cheesecake studded with chocolate chips.

I'm making Whoopie - Pies that is

Whoopie Pies - are these the next big thing? They have been around for a while, but they seem to be gaining some popularity at the moment.

Pink vanilla raspberry, omit choc chips add colour and pop raspberry extract in the frosting.

They look a bit like a big macaron and have a lot of frosting like a cupcake - intrigued yet?

Pretty much a whoopie pie is in between a cake batter and cookie dough baked on a cookie tray, and then sandwiched together with a good dollop of frosting/filling.

Have I sold you yet? Well they are easy to make, delicious and you can make them in so many different combinations your sure to find one you love.

Whoopie pies cookbook by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell 

I have a whole cookbook just dedicated to these delightful treats.

To start off showing you the delights of Whoopie Pie I have made a chocolate chip version, with a traditional frosting center using crisco and marshmallow fluff. Now if you live in Australia you may have trouble finding these ingredients so check out the notes at the bottom.

Now this here is an example of not following the recipe exactly again. I made my whoopies a little too big, probably about double the size and I think mine are just a tad too browned. But still super delicious.

Also the recipe said it would make 48, and I only ended up with 19 doubles (38 singles) and that's even before I ate a few warm unfilled ones
.

Whoopie Pie and milk - Mmmmm

Oh well will just have to make the sacrifice and try again in a couple of days.

Ok on to the recipe, these are adapted from Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell

Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies

2 1/4 cups plain (all purpose) flour                                   
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
56g (2 oz) unsalted butter at room temperature
56g (2 oz) vegetable shortening (if not available use butter * see below on where to find crisco in Australia)
1/2 cup granulate sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 Tbsp milk (US - 2 Tbsp)
1 tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)
1 tsp white vinegar
1 cup choc chips, mini if available

Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a mixer bowl beat butter, shortening and both sugars until light and creamy. Approx 3 mins.

Beat together sugars, shortening and butter until fluffy

Add eggs and buttermilk and beat until combined. (I think my milk was not warm enough and mine did not completely combine so I moved onto the next step after a bit of mixing without detriment to the finished product)

Combine milk, baking soda and vinegar and mix. Add to the batter along with the flour mixture and beat on low until combined. Add the vanilla and beat on medium for approx 2 mins until completely combined.

Stir in choc chips with a spatula or wooden spoon until just incorporated.

Fold in the chop chips

Using a spoon drop about  3 tsp (US 1 tbsp) of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets, continue leaving about 2 inch of space.

Bake 1 sheet at a time for appox 10 mins until the cakes just begin to brown. Let cool for at least 5 mins before transferring to wire rack to cool.

'Classic" marshmallow filling
(I only made half of the recipe listed below and had just enough to fill my whoopies)

1 1/2 cups Marshmallow Fluff (see pic below)
1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening (like crisco see pic below)
1 cup icing (confectioner's) sugar
3 tsp (US - 1 tbsp) vanilla extract

In a stand mixer beat together marshmallow fluff and shortening at medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.

Reduce to low speed and mix in sugar and vanilla, beat until well mixed, scrape down as required. Increase speed to medium high and mix until fluffy approx 3 mins.

To assemble pip or spread filling onto one whoopie cake and top with another cake.

Store in a single layer in a air tight container for up to 3 days. If you pile them on top of each other they will stick together.

* Where to find Crisco, Marshmallow Fluff and other US ingredients in Australia

Sometimes I have been lucky enough to find marshmallow fluff at coles in the same section as peanut butter, nutella and vegemite. But if your not so lucky here is a link to USA Foods where I get stuff from, they call it marshmallow creme there. If you live in Australia and crave US foods this is your link to an oasis of baking goods, cereals, sodas and chocolate bars.

In Brisbane Australia, Chocolate Boulevard in the Myer Center also has a wide range of US foods.

If your still having trouble finding crisco/shortening my local kitchenware store sells shortening in their cake decorating section, so you might try someplace like that. It is not crisco but it's a similar product.

As an alternative to the traditional filling, the lovely  Lorraine at Not Quite Nigella did a post on Whoopie's a couple of months ago and had a link to this easy version of filling at Taste.com.au

Or stay tuned to the blog I will be trying out a few different versions of whoopie pies and fillings over the next few weeks