Guilt-Free Cookie Dough Squares

The other day I was having one of those moments where I saw a recent photo of myself and was like, "Alright, time to get a little healthier again."  I'd made falafel waffles (which is fun to sing ♪♪♫), just using our Falafel Recipe and cooking it in the waffle maker with no fat; a lot better than our regular frying.  That had me remembering how healthy garbanzo beans are for us and brain storming what other ways besides hummus, falafel and salads that I could use them.  Several years ago, I remember coming across recipes for "dessert hummus" that tasted like chocolate chip cookie dough.  I made it once back then, ate it with graham crackers or something and didn't seem real impressed with it.

BUT... I thought I could probably improve upon it and turn it into a "square" or "bar" recipe.  And that's just what I did tonight!  I even took the time to go through my Guilt-Free Cookie Dough Squares recipe versus one batch of the original Nestle Toll House cookie recipe to see how much healthier mine actually was.  I figured they're pretty close to the same size in quantity, looking at the ingredient amounts... you might even get more out of mine than you would a batch of cookies.  And mine came in 2000+ calories less than one batch of cookies, almost half as many carbohydrates and sugars, and more protein!

And the beautiful thing is... they taste exactly like raw cookie dough on tasty crust!  You're getting carbs that are low on the glycemic index (at least in comparison to flour which is the main ingredient in chocolate chip cookies).  That means they release their sugars more slowly in the body - they're longer lasting and they don't spike your body's glucose levels. 

This recipe can also be made gluten-free and/or vegan! I used AP flour in the crust, but since you're not looking for the crust to rise, you could easily substitute a rice flour or an almond flour - I haven't tried it, but I don't foresee any issues.  I also used butter, but coconut oil could be used in its place.  And carob chips would be a fantastic substitute to chocolate chips! 

Let's listen to The Lurkers - "I Don't Need To Tell Her".  -jen

GUILT-FREE COOKIE DOUGH SQUARES
Time:  40 minutes with 2 hours cooling time
Difficulty:  Easy
Makes:  18 squares

Crust:

• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup AP flour (or gluten-free flour - rice, almond, etc)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened (or coconut oil)

Filling:

• 2 (15oz) cans of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus 1/3 cup for drizzling - optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Prepare a 13"x9" baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

In a food processor, combine all of the crust ingredients except the butter.  Pulse once or twice to combine.  Add softened butter and pulse until all the dry ingredients are combined, no longer look dry and clumps begin to form.  Turn out into prepared baking dish and using the palm of your hand, press the mixture firmly into the pan evenly, working it part-way up the sides.   Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and edges are just starting to get dark.  Remove from oven and let cool completely (thirty minutes to an hour).

Meanwhile, combine the garbanzo beans, 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, peanut butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt and baking soda in a food processor (I just wiped it out after doing the crust).  Turn processor on high and add a little of the almond milk at a time, until mixture is smooth and reached desired consistency.  You may not need to use the full 1/4 cup.  Remove mixture from food processor and stir in 2/3 cup chocolate chips by hand.

Spoon the garbanzo mixture into the cooled crust and spread evenly.  If you like, melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a small bowl for 30 seconds in microwave.  Stir and microwave in 15 second increments until melted.  Using a spoon, drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the cookie dough squares.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.  Cut into squares.

Store in refrigerator.

Cocadas (Latin American Coconut Confections)

Last year, I made Macaroons for the first time, and they were delicious.  However, after making Cocadas, which are very similar, I decided I prefer the Cocadas.  I love a one-bowl baking recipe!  These are so fast to whip up, and they're cheap to make!

Cocadas are a traditional Latin American coconut confection.  It does seem that every area has it's own version and they can come in all different flavours and styles.  I didn't get too crazy, but I made some plain ones, some with pecans, some with cocoa powder in them to make a chocolate version, and some drizzled with dark chocolate.  Next batch we make, Justin wants to put some diced up dried apricot in them - you can really get creative with whatever flavours you like.

Music - some O Pioneers!!! doing "Loose Lips Are The Key To A Good Foundation".  -jen

COCADAS

Chocolate on the left, Pecan on the right

Prep Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Difficulty:  Super Easy
Makes:  About 22

• 3.5 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 13oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional Ingredients:

• 2/3 pecans, chopped small (optional)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional for chocolate flavoured Cocadas)
• 4oz dark chocolate chips, melted (optional for drizzling over the tops of Cocadas)

Pecan Cocadas

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine coconut, sweetened condensed milk, egg, almond extract and salt (if using pecans and/or cocoa, add now) until well mixed.  Using two spoons, drop 1.5 tablespoons of coconut mix onto parchment paper.  You can leave in a rounded heap for a softer cookie, or smash the heap into a 1/2" thick disc for a crispier cookie.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 24-26 minutes.  Cocadas will be slightly golden brown on top.  (Careful not to burn the bottoms!)  With a spatula, carefully remove from parchment and cool on a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes.  Cookies will crisp up as they cool.  (If drizzling with melted dark chocolate, drizzle over cooled cookies and allow 30-60 minutes for chocolate to cool and harden.)

Drizzled with dark chocolate

Chai Oatmeal Cookies

My friend Jonathan was talking about how he'd been sprinkling some cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla into his coffee grounds.  It made me want to make up a chai spice for my own coffee.  When I made it, it smelled so amazing, I knew I wanted to make cookies with it (and if you haven't noticed, I'm not big into baking.)  Leaning towards a chai-spiced sugar cookie initially, I changed my mind when I saw my canister of oats.  These cookies came out so chewy and awesome.  Though there are 2 teaspoons of chai spice in it, the finished product is not overwhelmed by the spice.  In fact, if you really wanted a spiced cookie, I'd go with 3 teaspoons instead of the 2 in the recipe!

I have no specific reason for choosing this video except that I love the Street Dogs.  And this is their video for "Punk Rock & Roll".  -jen

CHAI OATMEAL COOKIES
Prep Time:  10 minutes plus 30 minutes to refrigerate
Difficulty:  Easy
Makes:  about 18 cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp
• 2/3 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Chai Masala (see recipe below)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, egg and almond extract with an electric or stand mixer.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, Chai Masala, and salt.  Add dry mix into wet mix until combined.  Fold in oats, raisins and pecans.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Scoop dough into rough balls about 1-1/2" diameter.  Lay 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 11-13 minutes.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

CHAI MASALA
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Makes: 1/3 cup (15 teaspoons)

• 4 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground all spice

Whisk all ingredients together.  Store in air-tight container.  I'm still discovering the uses for it, but it smells amazing!  I've put it in my coffee grounds pre-brewing.  The oatmeal cookies were great!  I've sprinkled some in a milkshake.  We have a ton of apples and I'm thinking about using it to make a spicy chai apple crumble.

Pumpkin Molasses Spice Cookies

I'd just had a craving for something pumpkin.  I'd had a can of pumpkin just hanging around.  And I love molasses as a sweetener.  So I thought I'd give it a shot.  I'm not into baking a whole lot - it's not that I can't, it just doesn't interest me as much as cooking does.  With cooking, it's pretty easy to experiment and not mess things up.  I don't know quite enough about baking to experiment successfully all the time.  Like the other day, I thought I'd make some blondies with chocolate chips in 'em.  I had a pretty quick, basic brownie recipe that I'd used before and I thought, "Oh, I'll just discard the cocoa powder, make it the same, no problem."  What I didn't think about until they were half way done baking was that it was 1/2 a cup of dry ingredients I just tossed.  And... my blondies came out like chocolate chip cookie soaked in butter for a day.  However... the Pumpkin Molasses Spice Cookie experiment came out awesome!  I'd make these again any day.  I went a little heavy on the spices, because I really like to taste the spice in spiced cookies... if you're not into spice, I guess you could probably just decrease the quantities.

Pumpkin... Halloween... naturally, it brought me to a toss up between The Cramps and The Damned.  But these spicy cookies had way more drive, like The Damned, and so I went with them.  Everyone who knows The Damned knows "New Rose".  Maybe it's just me, but I never get tired of this song, no matter how much I hear it.  It's one of those wake-me-up-in-the-morning songs for me. -jen

PUMPKIN MOLASSES SPICE COOKIES

• 2.5 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 tablespoons butter, room temp
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
• 3/4 cup pumpkin pure (100% pumpkin)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup coarse sugar, for rolling

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and black pepper.  Set aside.

Using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.  Add the brown sugar, molasses and pumpkin until combined.  Scrape the sides and add the egg, beating until combined.  Slow mixer speed and add the dry ingredients, 1/3 of it at a time, combining well before additions.  Do not over-mix dough.  Dough will be soft and wet.

Spread out two large sheets of plastic wrap and divide the dough in half, one half on each sheet.  Fold up tight and freeze for 30-45 minutes, until firm, or refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Place sugar into shallow dish.  Roll dough into 1.5-2" diameter balls.  Roll balls into sugar to coat, and place onto cookie sheet, 2-3" apart.  Using the bottom of a glass, press dough balls into 1/4-1/2" thick cookies.


Bake one sheet at a time for 12-14 minutes until tops feel set and edges are starting to brown.  Remove from oven and slide parchment paper and cookies onto a cooling rack for about 5 minutes.

Makes 30-35 cookies.