Healthy holiday cookies
It is a tradition at this time of year for many people to bake cookies. If you’d like to try baking healthier cookies this year, try some of the following from “Vive le Vegan” by Dreena Burton, reprinted with permission:
Double Chocolate Almond Explosion Cookies
(makes 8-10 large cookies, or 12 smaller ones)
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (for a decadent cookie with classic taste and texture) or whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp toasted almond slivers
- 3 tbsp non-dairy chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup unrefined sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (a little generous)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
- 1/4 cup canola oil (a little generous)
- 2-3 tbsp non-dairy chocolate bar, broken in small chunks, or chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp toasted almond slivers (for topping)
Preheat oven to 350F. In a bowl, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the almonds, chocolate chips, sugar and salt, and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup with the vanilla and almond extracts, then stir in the oil until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir through until just well combined (do not overmix). Place large spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Take 1 or 2 chocolate chunks and a pinch or two of almonds and gently press into each cookie.
Bake for 11 minutes, until lightly golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out). Let cool for no more than 1 minute on the sheet (again to prevent drying), then remove them with a large spatula and transfer to a cooling rack.
Coconut-Lime Cookies
(makes 10-12 medium-large cookies)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp unrefined sugar
- 1 – 1 1/2 tsp lime zest
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp coconut extract
- 1/4 cup canola oil (a little generous)
Preheat oven to 350F. In a bowl, combine the coconut, sugar, lime zest and salt, and sift in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup with the lime juice, vanilla, coconut extract and canola oil, and stir until well mixed. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and gently fold and stir through until just well combined (do not overmix). Place large spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and flatten a little. Bake for 11 minutes, until lightly golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out). Let cool for no more than 1 minute on the sheet (again to prevent drying), then remove them with a large spatula and transfer to a cooling rack.
Peanut “Better” Cookies
(makes 8-10 medium-large cookies)
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp unrefined sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup + 1-2 tbsp natural organic peanut butter
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp blackstrap molasses
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp canola oil
Preheat oven to 350F. In a bowl, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the 1/3 cup of peanut butter with the maple syrup, molasses and vanilla, then stir in the oil until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry, stir through, and as it is coming together, stir in the remaining 1-2 tbsp of peanut butter (not completely; leave bits of peanut butter throughout the batter). Place large spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and press with the tines of a fork to flatten gently and give that classic peanut butter cookie look. Bake for 11 minutes, until lightly golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out). Let cool for no more than 1 minute on the sheet (again to prevent drying), then remove them with a large spatula and transfer to a cooling rack.