Tag: healthy baking

recipes

Best Healthy American Style Cookies

Quirkalicous

Addictive and indulgent! These soft and chewy cookies, loaded with chocolate chips, will just make your day!

You’ll find that you won’t be able to stop on only one bite…

As these cookies contain no eggs and no sugar, they won’t spread. So depending on your preference, you can make them as thick or thin as you like. I tried them both ways and must say I prefer them slightly thinner as it gave them a nice crunch before reaching the soft and chewy inner.

These cookies can be stored in a sealable container for up to 1 week, if they manage to last that long, as in my house they tend to go within the first hour. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Best Healthy American Style Cookies

  • Servings: 12-15
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Rating: ★★★★★
  • Print

No butter, no white flour, no sugar and no eggs needed - These vegan cookies can easily be made paleo or keto too!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups oat flour
  • ¼ cup arrowroot starch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ cup chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/356F and line a large tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients and mix well.
  3. In a saucepan over the stove, or a microwave-safe bowl, gently heat your honey, add your oil and whisk together until combined.
  4. Add the wet mixture to the dry, along with the vanilla extract and milk, and mix until thoroughly combined.
  5. Fold in your chocolate chips.
  6. Place small spoonfuls of dough on the lined tray and press each one lightly, into a cookie shape.
    7. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly brown. Make sure not to overcook. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the tray.
    Substitutions
  • Substitute Oat flour for almond flour for a more paleo cookie
  • Cornflour or tapioca flour can be used instead of arrowroot starch, also, flaxseed is a good alternative if you’re looking to make them keto
  • You can replace honey with maple syrup, agave nectar or sugar-free syrup to make it keto
  • Instead of olive oil, you can use coconut oil
  • coconut milk can be used instead, or any milk of your choice.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 163 calories; 5.5 g fat; 26.2 g carbohydrates; 2.8 g protein; 2 mg cholesterol; 9 mg sodium.

As an update, I substituted 1/2 a cup of oat flour with coconut flour and the results were very nice. It added a different flavour to mix.

FOOD

It’s a grape day!

Quirkalicous

It is said that the propriety even of old Cato often yielded to the exciting influence of the grape. — Horace

Fresh grapes are a staple in most households both in and off season, and are consumed as are, in salads, roasted…and in many other ways. Wine is also widely consumed, but what happens with the pulpy residue that remains after winemaking? Well a number of things are made with this. For example, it is used in cosmetics, made into flour for use in baking and more, oil for salads…and much, much more.

Grape seed extract is produced from the pomace (seeds and skin) waste generated during winemaking, by removing, drying, and pulverizing the bitter-tasting seeds of grapes. It is promoted as a dietary supplement for various conditions, including venous insufficiency (when veins have problems sending blood from the legs back to the heart), promoting wound healing, and reducing inflammation.

Due to the high antioxidant content in grape seeds, it can help prevent disease and protect against oxidative stress, tissue damage, and inflammation. It also reduces blood pressure, improves blood flow, collagen levels and bone strength, improves kidney function, inhibits infectuous growth, protects the liver, enhances wound healing and appearance, and may reduce the risk of cancer.

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in grape seeds are also thought to delay or reduce the onset of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to antioxidants, grape seed flour is a good source of magnesium, calcium, iron, healthy fats, protein and fibre.

There are a variety of different types of grape seed flour each with a slightly different flavour and colour depending on the grape varietal they were derived from, i.e. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot etc.

Grape seed flour isn’t a flour in the true sense of the word. It is gluten-free and comes as a fine powder that can be added to baked goods (pancakes, breads, cakes, scones, crackers, and many more) to add flavour, colour and nutrition. It can also be added to yogurt or smoothies and used to thicken sauces, flavour soups or in dressings. Furthermore, it adds a rich colour and flavour to dishes with a slight astringent yet fruity taste, and so chefs recommend that it makes up no more than 3-5% of the total flour in your recipe.

All-in-all, grape seed extract is a superfood which should be incorporated into the diet.

*A delicious addition to your hearty baking delights*