Mimi, here are several recipes
A Celebration of Wellness
Outrageous Oatmeal Cookies
1 tablespoon egg replacer
4 tablespoons water
1/3 cup honey
1 cup prunes -- pitted and cut in half
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup walnuts (optional) -- lightly toasted
1 cup oat flakes
1/2 cup oat bran
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
Preheat oven to 350F. Put egg replacer and water in a food processor and beat until fluffy.
Add honey and blend.
Pulse chop in the prunes and orange juice, beat well until prunes are finely chopped. Pulse
chop in walnuts briefly.
Mix the rest of the dry items separately in a medium bowl. Mix wet mixture into the dry
mixture bowl. Stir until evenly distributed.
Drop the cookie dough by tablespoon onto a lightly oiled pan. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes at
350F.
Description:
"As their name implies, these are outrageous! Chewy and full of
goodies inside."
Copyright:
"1992 by James Levin, M.D. and Natalie Cederquist"
Yield:
"28 medium-sized cookies"
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 1107 Calories; 5g Fat (3.6% calories from fat); 22g
Protein; 283g Carbohydrate; 22g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1699mg Sodium. Exchanges: 5
Grain(Starch); 7 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 6 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
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Cocoa Drops
ChocolateChip-Apricot Blondies
The array of products in the sweetener aisle might seem rather mystifying
to the natural foods novice. But with a little savvy, sweeteners like
Sucanat, fructose, barley malt syrup, and date sugar, among others, will
no longer be mysteries.
While the detrimental effects of white sugar are still being debated, there's
little doubt that Americans consume far too much of it. But most of us
would be loath to giving up sweets altogether, no matter how bad the
news. While most natural sweeteners aren't nutritional bell ringers, they
are generally considered to produce less of a shock to the body's blood
sugar level and metabolism than do simple sugars. Some natural
sweeteners actually contain measurable nutrients‹molasses, for example,
is a good source of iron. And from a culinary standpoint, natural
sweeteners offer bolder, more complex flavors than sugar, adding
delectably different dimensions to baked goods and other treats.
Following these descriptions of natural sweeteners are a handful of recipes
that demonstrate their use.
BARLEY MALT SYRUP: Dark, sticky and boldly flavored, barely malt sugar
is nonetheless neither as assertive as blackstrap molasses nor as sweet as
honey. Primarily maltose, a complex sugar that enters the bloodstream
slowly. This sweetener offers trace amounts of B vitamins and several
minerals.
Barley malt syrup is a wonderful addition to squash and pumpkin breads,
bran muffins, and hearty rye or pumpernickel breads. Use it to glaze sweet
potatoes and to make winter "malteds" combined with bananas and soy
milk.
BROWN RICE SYRUP: A traditional Asian sweetener, brown rice syrup is
made from rice starch converted into maltose, a complex sugar. Rice syrup
is the mildest-flavored of the liquid sweeteners and contains trace
amounts of B vitamins and minerals. Use it interchangeably with honey in
cooking and baking, to sweeten hot or cold beverages and cereals, or as a
spread for fresh breads.
DATE SUGAR: Not actually a sugar in the conventional sense, date sugar
is ground from dehydrated dates. What a great source of sweetness‹dates
are high in fiber, and rich in a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Date
sugar can be exchanged measure for measure for sugar in baking, for
cakes, muffins, and quick breads. Use it in place of brown sugar to make
crumb toppings for pies and fruit crisps. It can't be used to sweeten
beverages, though, as the tiny pieces won't dissolve.
FRUCTOSE: Derived from fruit sugar, this sweetener, closely resembles
granular white sugar but is more concentrated so that less is needed for a
similar effect‹about 1/2 cup fructose to 1 cup of sugar. Though fructose
has little nutritional value, it is generally believed that it doesn't disturb
the blood sugar level as much as sucrose. Use it in place of sugar as an
all-purpose sweetener‹in baking and cooking, and in hot and cold
beverages.
FRUITSOURCE®: A relatively new natural sweetening product, Fruitsource
replaces not only sugar, but also fat, in baking. Made from a natural blend
of grape and rice carbohydrates , it can also be used as a general-purpose
sweetener for hot and cold beverages and in cooking. To use in baking,
replace every cup of sugar with 1 1/4 cups Fruitsource and reduce fat by
50%; optimal oven temperature is 300 to 325 degrees.
HONEY: Natural foods stores offer ways to explore this venerable
sweetener beyond the common clover variety, from mild alfalfa honey, to
more complex-flavored wildflower honeys, to strong, dark buckwheat
honey. Since honey is primarily glucose, a simple sugar, there's little
agreement about whether it's much better for us than sugar. However, it
does contain trace amounts of some B vitamins and many minerals. The
darker the honey, the more nutrients it contains.
About 1/2 cup honey equals the sweetness of 1 cup of sugar. Use it as a
general-purpose sweetener for hot beverages, in "smoothies," and for
cooking and baking. In baking, reduce the amount of liquid called for, and
lower the oven temperature by about 25 degrees.
MAPLE SYRUP: While this well-loved sweetener is mainly sucrose, a simple
sugar, it does contain several trace minerals, plus measurable amounts of
calcium and iron. Avoid imitation maple syrups; look for ones labeled "pure"
and graded Fancy or Grade A. Apart from its favored use as a topping for
pancakes, maple syrup can be used successfully in baking and to add a
delectable flavor to puddings.
MOLASSES: Long prized in southern American cookery, molasses is
arguably the most nutritious of natural sweeteners. Derived from sugar
cane, look for organic unsulphured molasses for optimal quality. Molasses is
rich in iron and vitamin B6 and also provides calcium and potassium. Use
molasses in making rye or pumpernickel breads, in sweet potato dishes,
and to make robust barbecue sauces. Barbados molasses is a close
relative of blackstrap; it is somewhat lighter in color and flavor.
SUCANAT®: The trade name for this product stands for SUgar CAne
NATural, and is made from evaporated sugar cane juice. It is then milled
into granules much the same size as white sugar, but with a tawny hue.
Sucanat is about 88% sucrose, or simple sugar, as compared to table
sugar, which is 99% sucrose, but it retains more vitamins, minerals, and
other trace nutrients found in sugar cane.
Sucanat has a mild but distinct flavor, with a hint of molasses. As an
all-purpose sweetener for baking, cooking, and in hot or cold drinks, use it
as a 1-to-1 replacement for white sugar.
STEVIA: Perhaps the most concentrated‹as well as the most
controversial‹of natural sweeteners, Stevia is derived from an herb native
to Paraguay. The FDA has approved it as a dietary supplement, but not as
a sweetener. Available as a greenish powder, stevia imparts a powerful
sweetness with an herbal undertone. As sweeteners go, it is quite
expensive, though a little goes a very long way.
COCOA DROPS
Makes about 2 dozen
These little cookies feel like a splurge, but they can be enjoyed with a
minimum of guilt. They have a moist, almost brownie-like texture, and are
quite low in fat. Sucanat lends a subtle molasses scent
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup Sucanat
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff. Gradually beat in the
Sucanat, oil, and vanilla.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Work
into the whipped egg white mixture to form a stiff dough.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 10
minutes, or until the tops of the cookies feel set. Cool on a rack, then
store in an airtight container.
CHOCOLATE CHIP-APRICOT BLONDIES
Makes 12 squares
A pan of honey-laced blondies adds cheer to a winter day. Serve with
your favorite herbal tea.
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon each: ground cloves and allspice
1 egg or 2 egg whites, beaten
1/2 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup honey, preferably an organic wildflower variety
2/3 cup finely diced dried apricots
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate mini-chips
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, optional
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with the baking powder, baking soda,
and spices and stir together.
In another mixing bowl, combine the beaten egg with the yogurt and
honey. Stir until smoothly mixed. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir
vigorously until smoothly blended. Stir in the apricots and chocolate chips.
Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled 9- by 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 25
to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into
the center tests clean (with the exception of a bit of melted chocolate
clinging to it). Cool until just warm, then cut into 12 squares.
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COCONUT SPICE COOKIES
2 C WHOLE WHEAT PASTRY FLOUR
1 C ROLLED OATS
DASH SALT
1/2 C GRATED COCONUT
1/2 C CORN OIL
2/3 C BARLEY MALT OR RICE SYRUP OR 1/2 C HONEY OR MAPLE SYRUP
1/2 C ATER
1/4 TSP EACH ALLSPICE, NUTMEG, GINGER
1/2 TSP CINNAMON
COMBINE THE FLOUR, OATS, SALT AND COCONUT IN A LAGE BOWL. ADD THE OIL. RUB MIXTURE BETWEEN HANDS TIL THE CONSISTENCY OF WET SAND.
IN A SMALL BOWL COMBINE SYRUP, WATER, SPICES, ADD TO THE FLOUR MIXTURE, BLEND WELL.
FORM DOUGH INTO A BALL AND ALLOW TO REST 10 MINS. PREHEAT OVEN TO 375.
SHAPE PIECES OF DOUGH INTO FLAT 2" COOKIES, BAKE 10 MINS.
TURN THE COOKIES OVER AND BAKE 10 MINS MORE.
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A friend of mine created these and is always asked for the recipe.
Debbie Boyll's Flaxseed Oatmeal Cookies
1 Cup of butter
1 Cup of sucanat w/honey
1 Cup of sucanat
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 Cups fresh hard white wheat flour - use soft white to be like toll house
1 Cup oatmeal
½ Cup milled flax seed
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Salt
1 ½ Cups almonds, chopped
1 Cup chocolate chips (opt)
Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, Sucanat and Sucanat w/honey making a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Mix dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture. Add almonds and chocolate chips. Make into 1" balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet 2" apart.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
