November Cookies: Dark Chocolate Coconut 'n Flax Cookies

I am POOPED today! I took Lily to a zoo in Brooklyn yesterday and after having to take 3 different trains there and back, not to mention having to be on my feel all day with her, I am still sore. I am almost too tired to even write anything right now…but, bloggers can’t rest now, can they? Not when they’re trying to actually stick to what they set out to do and post at least 3 times a week and have a different cookie recipe every Friday! Not when they’re computer acts up non-stop, narrowly avoiding being punched in the screen several times in less than a day! And definitely not when the internet connection was acting up all morning for no known reason, luckily finally deciding to work again as soon as I was about to reach my wit’s end! (It’s been that kind of day…) No, nothing will stop me from getting healthy cookie recipes to you, my devoted readers (at least I think you’re devoted…), not even a cranky toddler (who I just put down for a nap, yay!).

Note: Lily woke up just minutes after I started writing the paragraph below…what a stinker! She only napped for about 30 minutes!

And for the sake of chocolate and indulging in naughty sweets, this first November Cookie recipe is not the healthiest I have, but certainly one of the yummiest, and I think it deserves to be the first I post, mainly because it has become the new favorite of the house and because I felt like it.

Dark Chocolate Coconut ‘n Flax Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted

¼ cup ground flax flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup butter or ½ butter ½ cup coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup shredded coconut

I usually preheat my oven once the dough is ready to be put on the cookie sheets, but if you prefer to preheat your oven once you start making dough, you can go ahead and set it to 375 degrees. Combine flours, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. In separate bowl, mix sugars, vanilla, and butter and/or oil together until smooth and creamy. Add each egg one at a time until well beaten and combined with mixture. Then slowly add the flour mixture, a little at a time, until well blended together with sugar mixture. An electric beater works best. Lastly, add the chocolate chips and coconut until mixed in evenly with dough.

Drop rounded spoonfuls of cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets in rows, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-15 minutes in oven on center rack until golden brown. Remove cookies and allow to cool before serving, as they will be HOT! Enjoy with a nice glass of milk (I prefer almond).

Can't you just smell them baking?

Of course, cookies are best when they’re fresh out of the oven, and often I can only wait for about 10 minutes before sinking my teeth into one of these heavenly delights. The coconut and dark chocolate go perfectly together, and the whole wheat and flax flours add the extra benefits of fiber and omega-3s. This recipe also calls for 25% less sugar than the average classic chocolate chip cookie recipes. 

Delicious outcome

I use organic and Fair Trade chocolate chips when I can, like Sunspire, which is available at Whole Foods if you have on near you. You can also find a store online. I have written a post about slaves being used for harvesting cocoa beans where you can read more on the abominable practice of forcing children into unpaid labor under harsh working conditions. It’s very difficult to find chocolate that is truly slave-free, especially when it comes to chocolate chips. If you feel very strongly against using chocolate that may have come from unsavory sources, try just breaking up a slave-free chocolate bar instead! Here’s a site that lists many of the organic, Fair Trade and/or slave-free chocolates available.

I know it’s very difficult to find chocolate that is not only organic and Fair Trade, but also truly slave-free. It’s also hard to find an affordable one! Vitacost.com- one of my favorite websites ever! –has Sunspire baking chips available at very reasonable prices and in a variety of different versions, from grain-sweetened, to vegan, to carob and more! Of course, they don’t offer a “classic” semi-sweet or dark chocolate version on vitacost, but they do have that kind available at Whole Foods.

Of course, I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone; I don’t always use certified chocolates myself since they are not always readily available like I said. I a merely trying to draw attention to the situations surrounding the cocoa bean trade that some sources claim is “getting better”, yet many state otherwise. It’s always good to be informed, and if you are able to make a better buying decision isn’t that always the best way to go? Most of you have children and are horrified that children as young as three (probably younger!) are put into labor camps to harvest cocoa beans, coffee beans, and many other items. Heck, even if you don’t have kids I’m sure you are just as saddened by the situation, so let’s do our best to support those companies that are trying to make a difference!

To end on a lighter note, Lily recently tried chocolate chip cookies for the first time (here’s the photographic proof!) and loved them! This version of chocolate chip cookies would be a great first cookie for a little one in your life due to the added benefits of whole grain flours, coconut and less sugar than most readily-available cookies out there. And of course you want your child’s first cookie to be homemade! They will taste the love you put into making them, I guarantee it!

Dark chocolate has also been proven to be quite healthy itself, especially in comparison to milk chocolate. First of all, it is full of heart-healthy antioxidants and natural mood-boosters which is why many people crave chocolate when they're feeling blue. It also contains many vital minerals such as iron and magnesium. I don't know about you, but I greatly prefer the taste of dark to milk chocolate anyway!

Check back next week for Meatless Monday, the first featured up-and-coming blog post, and another cookie recipe! Have a great weekend!!!

Frozen Summer Treat!

I’ve been wanting to post a tried and tested summer treat recipe, but hadn’t really hit any goals that I thought were worth sharing. I made a few different flavors of popsicles, but none were exciting or even tasty enough to gab about, and the ones that did taste good weren’t exactly healthy. I got an ice cream maker last spring and did some experimenting with that, but really the best flavors were the classics- vanilla and chocolate –and whenever I did come up with a flavor that was anything other than those, it was only because I used a flavor extract like mint or orange. In other words, it would be lazy of me to post a recipe for such things.

But, then, I remembered an old frozen treat from my childhood that I didn’t only enjoy eating, but also enjoyed making myself. It could be messy, but fun, and my mom was usually more than pleased to make these with me, because besides being delicious, there were actually nutritious qualities to it too. Many of you will probably know this one, but I wonder how many have actually ever made…

Chocolate-covered Frozen Bananas

2 bananas, cut in half

¾ cup chocolate chips

2 tbsp coconut oil

Extra toppings choices: shredded coconut, chopped nuts, granola, chopped dried cranberries or cherries, sprinkles, chopped espresso beans, etc.

Stick a popsicle stick or chopstick or whatever you have available to use for a handle into the bottom of each banana half, length-wise. Place the halved bananas on a tray or plate in freezer and freeze for at least 30 minutes. When the bananas are close to ready, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small saucepan or in a Pyrex glass in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Mix until smooth. Remove from heat, then get the bananas out and carefully dip them into the chocolate, covering them, then lay on a piece of parchment paper on a tray or plate to put back into the freezer. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice. Put them back into the freezer for another 30 minutes or until set (may not take very long depending on how cold your freezer is). Best to enjoy these bananas outside under the sun!

And there you have it- a sweet, yet healthier option to store-bought popsicles and they don’t take very long to make, with little effort to boot. If you have kids that are of an age where they can handle dipping bananas into chocolate without dumping it all over themselves, they will enjoy helping you with this, and also getting to apply their very own toppings. Baby can obviously enjoy some mashed up bananas, but for an extra treat, add some shredded coconut topping. Toddlers can enjoy this at your discretion, as you may not want to give them chocolate yet or their teeth may be sensitive to the cold.

As everyone knows, bananas are super-healthy and incredibly versatile in many recipes. They are loaded with potassium, protein, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Bananas help to improve cardiovascular and kidney health, and even contain a lesser-known prebiotic compound called fructooligosaccharide, which helps the body absorb nutrients such as calcium more efficiently, thus promoting denser bones.

One thing I’ve always noticed bananas are good for is as the perfect on-the-go snack for a burst of energy. I eat them just about every day either right out of the rind, sliced up on whole wheat toast with peanut butter and honey, in freshly-made smoothies, or in desserts such as the frozen bananas and caramelized with frozen yogurt (or vanilla ice cream!).

Since I’m also talking about chocolate here, I want to bring up a lesser-known plight that is taking place mainly in Africa that involves the way cocoa beans are harvested. Many children are forced into cocoa bean harvesting- which is very hard labor –either because it is the only way they can make money for their families, or far worse, they are often kidnapped and forced to work as slaves. They work for hours on end in the blistering sun, usually without breaks and without eating or drinking anything. Children reportedly as young as 8 years old are doing this work. And, even though many of the major chocolate companies like Nestle and Cadbury say they are doing their part to only use Fair Trade cocoa beans, it is incredibly difficult to track just where these beans are actually coming from (like a “blood diamond”).  Furthermore, many farmers in these impoverished countries are being taken advantage of and not receiving fair wages from the yields they provide.

There are a few brands that are taking greater strides to ensure they know where their cocoa beans are coming from, brands like Dagoba, Newman’s Own Organic, and Endangered Species all use organically grown beans which are also Fair Trade. Click this link to learn more about how they are certified and to see other brands that use organic and Fair Trade cocoa beans.

I don’t want to plant a guilt trip on anybody- I mean, how awful is it to have to worry if kids were breaking their backs over the cocoa used to make the delicious Godiva truffle you’re about to enjoy (sadly, they most likely were!). This issue only very recently came to my attention as it has received very little coverage in the news, like most child labor issues do, and I’m sad to say coffee beans are effected similarly. So, even though Fair Trade and organic brands do tend to cost a bit more than Hershey’s and Folgers, if you can afford it and want to make a difference, indulge your sweet tooth with a bar labeled Fair Trade Certified and/or Slave-Free to ensure you are not giving money to the types of people who would put children’s well-being at risk just to make some money.