Chocolate Chip Cookies (With A Rockstar Twist)

June 29, 2012

I love to bring a batch of freshly baked cookies to BBQs and casual parties. They are easy. They transport well. Plus ⎯you can fill them with a lot of rockstar ingredients (like chia seeds)…..and they still taste great too. In addition to the nutritional punch, what makes these cookies special to me is the potpourri of vanilla, freshly grated nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. It really takes the uniqueness of these cookies to the next level. I’m tucking these into my suitcase for the holiday weekend. Hope you have a great one.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 36 mini cookies (~100 calories each)
 
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chia flour (yes really! it works just like all-purpose flour)
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar + 1/2 cup (if you like a sweeter cookie)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon good vanilla extract 
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (60% cocoa) or chunks (get the good stuff)
1/2 cup walnuts
 
Directions

Heat the oven to 375F degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer (I used a hand mixer), cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl once. Add the flours and spices in three additions, beating until just combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Do not overbeat!

Stir in the oats, the chocolate chips, the chia seeds, the hemp seeds and the walnuts, distributing evenly. Drop the dough in heaping tablespoons on parchment-lined baking sheets, keeping the cookies at least 2 inches apart. (I made two dozen cookies and stored the rest in the freezer.) Flatten gently with the back of a spoon (I dusted mine with an additional dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.) Bake for about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. The cookies are done when they turn lightly golden around the edges, and the tops look almost dry. Cool on the baking sheets for a minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. The cookies are best still slightly warm, but you can successfully store them in an airtight container for up to a few days.

Learn more
To learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe and to check out more visit <a href="http://www.greenlemonade.com/recipes-juices/healthy-desserts/">Green Lemonade</a>.

 

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