The Fresh Loaf

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Cookies for your health

dstroy's picture
dstroy

Cookies for your health

Ah November... for me, as a mom, this is the one time of year I start to dread all the sugared temper tantrums that are bound to become a regular thing now that the season of non-stop candy and sweets is upon us.

I still want something sweet, but I would rather see all the *sugar, sugar, sugar!* that the kids are bringing home get thrown out, so today I made Guilt-Free Hippie Cookies.

No sugar, no butter, just honey and applesauce, vanilla, walnuts and carob for flavoring. I don't even usually like carob, maybe because usually when I have it it's in something replacing chocolate where chocolate would frankly have tasted better, but in this recipe, it's like carob is acknowledged as it's own thing, slightly sweet and salty, and it just goes really well with the cookie. 

And, despite their Halloween baskets still overflowing with candy, the kids are really into these, and I don't mind them when they indulge as much.

Comments

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

These look really good.  Reminds me of when my kids were young.  Easy to manage what goes 'in' then….Halloween they always got to keep 5 pieces of candy but the rest was tossed or my husband took it to work.  What the kids got in return was $10.00 to spend in a store of their choice for a toy etc.  They loved this and it worked for many years - till adolescence hit.

My kids grew up eating carob and really liked the flavor.  Your cookies reminded me of the ones I made too called 'Toll-Free' cookies.  Now they eat only chocolate and carob is just a memory.  My daughter (20) considers herself a chocolate snob and has very high standards as to which kinds of chocolate she eats.  They all still get my lectures on the health ramifications of the sugar and fat that is included in the chocolate.  I get blank stares with my lectures.  I figure I will be dead before their health starts to decline due to their adult diets….Oh well, they did eat really well during their growing up years.

Hand in there with yours.  I know it is tough but it can be done :)

Take Care,

Janet

dstroy's picture
dstroy

haha Janet - we tried to do a "buy back" program this year too, but even our little Mr. Entrepreneur was loathe to sell most of his candy. He did exchange the ones he generally doesnt like for cash though. ;)

They have so much access to sweets around other kids and school and such though, the overall limiting of candy is just tough this time of year.

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi,
Those cookies look really good, studded with the nuts and chips!

As I read your post, I thought of the granola bars I made this weekend, also sweetened with 3/4 cup honey.
The granola bars were crispy and chewy, very tasty, the chocolate sprinkled on top optional :^)
Here is a link to the recipe; I wondered if you might like these (although they do have some butter)?
http://www.pbs.org/food/kitchen-vignettes/back-to-school-granola-bars/

The baked result (made with puffed millet instead of puffed rice)

Happy baking,
:^) breadsong

 

dstroy's picture
dstroy

ooh breadsong! That does look good!