I can't say these are healthy, but with some healthier substitutions that reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, you won't feel as bad eating them when you just have to have a cookie (or three).
I adapted my recipe from these Chewy Coconut White Chocolate Chip Cookies. *Side note - the original recipe "makes about 30 cookies" but I ended up with about 13. I've always failed at making smaller cookies. I used greek yogurt instead of the full amount of butter and ground flax seed and water instead of the egg (so that means I can eat twice as many anyway, right?). I also added dried blueberries. You can add any dried fruit you want or omit the fruit completely.
What you will need:
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature
2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup packed organic coconut sugar (brown sugar will work)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup dried blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray lightly with coconut oil spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together ground flax seeds and water. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, yogurt, and both sugars on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Beat in the flax/water mixture and then the vanilla. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut, and dried blueberries until evenly distributed.
Scoop onto baking sheets and bake for 9 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool and enjoy!
The title of today's post sure doesn't sound like something healthy - but I decided that today could be about making something healthyer (and yes, I know that's not how you spell healthier).
Browsing through Hungry Girl's website, you can find many tips on how to lighten up desserts. I decided to try the trick of using non fat greek yogurt in a cake mix in place of the oil and eggs. I had been craving the lemon-blueberry combo for a while and decided to put the cake mix that was in my cupboard to good use. This recipe makes 12 servings and is 10 points per piece of frosted cake.
What you will need:
1 moist-style Lemon Cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Lemon Supreme)
1 cup non fat greek yogurt (I used Chobani, but another brand is fine)
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Combine cake mix and 1 cup non fat greek yogurt in a large bowl. Then, add 1 cup water. Mix all ingredients together until smooth.
Put mix into a greased pan - I used two 9 inch round pans. This mixture is almost brownie like in consistency, but don't worry, it will bake like a cake. I was pretty skeptical as I scooped it into the pans.
At this point I remembered I wanted to add blueberries, so I took some out of the freezer and quickly rinsed them in a strainer. Then, I just placed them throughout the batter that was already in the pans and then smoothed the batter over them with a spoon.
Bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For me, this was sooner than the bake time listed on the box when using oil and eggs - so just be sure you keep and eye on it/check it after about 15 minutes.
Now - on to the frosting (which is REALLY good, by the way). I followed the recipe from The eMeals Blog but halved it - which was still enough to cover the cake.
What you will need:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon milk
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
In a stand mixer, beat butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and milk with a mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over top and sides of cooled cake.
The verdict? The cake was SO moist and the frosting was really refreshing. I don't think I'd ever make a cake using oil and eggs again. Not only is this version less fattening, but it tastes so much better! No one will know it's from a mix. I would make it again, but only if I was expecting company. This time around we had to ration it - one piece a day for my husband and me.
Posts
