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)

Red Robot Birthday Party with a nod towards steampunk ( on a budget )

My cute as can be nephew has just turned one and when his mother asked if I could help out by making a cake I took the opportunity to put together this fun little inexpensive birthday party.

DJ's mum sent me a picture of a red robot that a friend had created for his birth as inspiration and the cookies, cake and cake pops are all based on that design.

Instead of a regular bright primary background I decided to theme the cake and cookies with a nod towards steampunk. The cake is a shimmery battered looking copper with steel and copper cog accents made from fondant.

Anyhoo you might have noticed that the table is a bit low key and that's because I put it together on a budget. 'Cause it's lots of fun to have a big party with all the trimmings, but sometimes fast and inexpensive is the way to go.

Of course as I made all the treats myself I have a little head start on everyone, but I think you could make this party look just as good with a buttercream frosted cake with a couple of plastic robots on top (plus you can play with them afterwards), your favorite store bought cookies or biscuits and just  regular round cake pops.

Red Robot Party Suppliers and Sources 

The table cloth is actually a roll of red polka dot wrapping paper from the local discount/ dollar store.

The candy jars are MOGDEN Jar from Ikea - they are $6.99 (AUD) from the bathroom section. One of the things I like about them (apart from the price) is that they are not overly large so you don't need to go overboard on the sweets. I only needed to use 1 regular bag per jar, normally I need to open around 3 bags to fill a candy jar.

The red and white 'stands' are once again from Ikea - they are candle holders and I just placed the jar on top. You could adhere the jar securely to the stand, however I find for the younger kids it's a good idea to be able to take them off and put the jar at the front of the table so they can easily reach in.

I picked up the robot stickers that are decorating the stands and pail from the local discount/ dollar store for $2 a packet. You could also pop the stickers onto loot bags to tie in your theme if you like.

The red pail the pops are in is from the local discount/ dollar store for a couple of dollars - this one was actually recycled from my daughter's Wizard of Oz party.

For the background decoration you can find similar hanging paper fans from The Little Big Company I had mine sitting around from another party that I recycled. These fans are good for recycling as they fold down flat easily for storage.

Or if your crafty check out this tutorial on how to make your own paper rosette backdrop.

 

The blue round mini  'plates' are actually some coasters.....once again from Ikea.

and the little stand up robot's are very inexpensive DIY ones that come in box of 20 from a toy shop.

and remember my book sweets on a stick has lots of fun inexpensive and easy to make ideas for birthday parties for boys and girls. You can pick it up online here:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Spiced Pear Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing

Did you know it's National Pear Month in Australia. Yup it's happening all around you right now and I bet quite a few of you might have even been participating and supporting local growers by eating a delicious juicy pear. There are also all kinds of exciting pear relating goings on around, including your chance to win for dinner for 2 HERE and lots of other foodie events around the country. You can find out more at rediscover the pear HERE.

We don't actually need to rediscover the pear in this household, despite all the cake and cookies I bake we are big fruit eaters here, and yummy Australian pears are always in the fruit bowl during their season.

OK - these green dot ones look good but that is way too much frosting - 

trust me don't do that, make your swirl smaller like the other pics.

In celebration of the pear, I came up with this light and delicious spiced pear cupcake topped with a swirl of creamy caramel cream cheese icing.

The light and fragrant cupcake was reminiscent of a tea cake and matched the decadent icing well.

But if your looking for something less creamy they were also lovely without any icing, or dipped in butter and cinnamon sugar.

Those cinnamon sugar ones were really good warm so these are the only photo's I got :)

Spiced Pear Cupcake (makes 20 - 24 cupcakes) store in an airtight container for up to 3 days

Note that this recipe calls for Extra Large eggs in place of large eggs, just because that is what I mostly have in my fridge. I use organic eggs when possible and always free range.

1 large pear cut into very small pieces (yield around 1 3/4 cup) I used Sweet William variety
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp all spice
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
4 Extra Large Eggs
250 (8 3/4 oz)grams unsalted butter softened.


Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Line 2 muffin trays with paper cases.

In a medium bowl mix together the pear, cinnamon and all spice.

Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl and make a well in the center, add the Eggs and softened butter and mix well at low speed using an electric mixer until just combined. Scrap down the sides. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and mix for 2 minutes.

Using a spatula fold the spiced pear mixture into the cupcake batter. Spoon batter into prepared tins filling the paper cases 3/4 full.

Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

200g (7oz) Cream Cheese at room temperature
100g (3  1/2 oz) Unsalted Butter at room temperature
3 cups sifted icing sugar
1/4 cup caramel (like top and fill) or make your own dulce de leche following the instructions HERE

Place the cream cheese and unsalted butter in a large bowl and mix until combined. Add the icing sugar one cup at a time and mix at medium low speed until incorporated, increase speed to high and mix for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the caramel and mix until well combined. If you are spreading the cream cheese onto the cakes you can use straight away if you would like to pipe place in fridge until the mixture becomes firm.

Alternate Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Melt 125g (3.5 oz) unsalted butter in a bowl. In a separate shallow bowl mix together 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 Tbsp (2 Tbsp 2 tsp US)ground cinnamon. Dip the tops of the cupcakes in the melted butter and then into the sugar mixture.