Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 18 Minutes |
Ready In: 38 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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Are you one of those people who like sweets but often find them just TOO sweet? If you are, then you will like those cookies. This was originally the so-called $250 Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, but I modified it to be less sweet and healthier. Honestly, I cut out the sweet things from these cookies by about a half and got told that these cookies were better than Subway's and even the best in the world (thought that might've been a little subjective). There are many ways to make this recipe, with or without chilling the dough, and many hours of fun experimentation for you to find your favorite way of making them . So try these out and enjoy! Ingredients:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter (a little cooler than room temperature) |
5/8 cup sugar (i prefer sucanat or organic golden cane sugar) |
1 large egg (room temperature, please) |
1 teaspoon vanilla (pure vanilla extract only!) |
1 cup whole wheat flour |
1/2 cup oat flour (you can make this by processing oats in a coffee or spice grinder or buy it as is) |
1 tablespoon tapioca starch (for chewiness) |
1/2 teaspoon baking powder |
1/4 teaspoon baking soda |
1/8 teaspoon salt (preferably sea salt) |
1/4 teaspoon allspice (ground) |
1/2-1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional, you can use decaffeinated) |
3/4 cup chocolate chips (or use any chips you want. i like milk chocolate, but you could use carob chips, butterscotch, peanu) |
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees (if you are making the short version of this recipe. Elseway, wait to step 9) and grease youself some cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper if they don't have a non-stick coating.
2. In a small bowl, sift together the dry ingredients except the coffee powder, if using.
3. In a larger bowl, cream the butter with a wooden spoon. It must hold its shape, but not be hard or mushy. If it is mushy, put it back in the frdge a couple minutes at a time and check the texture. If it is hard, keep it on the counter until it softens.
4. Then, beat the butter and the sugar together using an electric mixer on medium speed approximately 30 seconds. The mixture must become light and airy. If it becomes soggy, put it back in the fridge and try again later.
5. Then, carefully beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds. It is very important at this step that the egg and the butter be at approximately the same temperature so that the butter doesn't curdle because of the colder egg or sog because of a warmer egg. A trick to bring the egg at the right temperature is to put it in a bowl of lukewarm water a couple minutes.
6. Take the dry ingredients and beat them into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds, or until well blended. Do not overmix, as it will make the protein in the egg and in the flour's gluten bind and your cookies might become rubbery.
7. Stir in the instant coffee and your choice of chips with your wooden spoon. Same advice as for the previous step.
8. Now is the time to make variations. You can either use the dough as is and drop it on your cookie sheet to bake immediately, or chill the dough about 2 hours, or until it doesn't stick much anymore and then roll balls with your hands. The first option will make cookies of a more uniform texture while the second will make them crispier on the edges and chewier in the center, while having perfectly uniform sizes and shapes. You can also choose the size of your cookies, ranging from teaspoons to ounces (1/8 cups, or 2 tablespoons). I liked the mini-cookies and the giant ones.
9. Using your measure, drop the cookie dough or roll it between your palms and place it onto your cookie sheet 1 to 3 inches apart, depending on the cookies' size. Now you could leave the dough as is or flatten it gently with the back of a spoon. Not pressing a very large rolled cookie could result in having all the chocolate in the center of the cookie, which I find amusing.
10. Bake for about 18 to 25 minutes depending on the size or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.
11. Wait 1 or 2 minutes and transfer to cooling racks. Wait a couple minutes, and eat! You can keep these cookies (once cooled) in layers separated by paper towels to absorb the humidity in a tightly closed container. This method keeps them from changing texture.
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