Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Healthy Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Black Forest Brownie-Bite Cookies


Day two of the 90 day weight loss challenge and I'm sharing a cookie recipe. Yup. That's because these are healthy and low calorie! In fact, each cookie only carries 73 calories, 2 net carbs, and 5 grams of heart-healthy fat from almond flour! You can't go wrong with that. Did I also mention they are sugar-free and gluten-free? Well...how can they taste like a black forest brownie and still be good for me? I'm not asking. I'm just eating. Two cookies for a snack and I'm good to go for the rest of the afternoon.  Happy. Giddy happy! Dancing around the test-kitchen happy! Does dancing around the test kitchen count as cardio? Pump up the Broadway show tunes...because I'm making it count! Bwhahahaa! Now there's a visual...I'd just as soon not show you...

On the other hand, here are some cookies I think you'd like to see. 

 My friends at North Bay Trading sent me some gorgeous Freeze Dried Organic Cherries to try out and I have to tell you I've been addicted! Adding these to the cookies have been pivotal.  I love cherries anyway, but these have been so cool! I love the crunch, the tartness and the absents of guilt associated with eating these! 
 Nutritionally, they are as close to picking cherries right off the tree as I can get. Calorie wise, they are low and I don't feel guilty. Did I mention the guilt again? Well...here you go. Look for yourself.
 Have you ever met my favorite Almond Flour? On this one I'm brand specific for a reason. This is the finest milled almond flour I can find and it has remarkable texture in baked good. I didn't want almond meal. I wanted a flour that would bake remarkably well. Thank you Honeyville! To find out how I'm connected to Honeyville, go here.

I've done a lot of tips and techniques on baking with Almond flour Here

At any rate, here's the recipe for the cookies. I think you'll really enjoy them. I know we do!

Black forest Almond flour Brownie-Bite Cookies 
2 cups Almond Flour 
1/4 cup  organic coconut flour
1/2 cup Granular Erythritol (natural sugar-free calorie free sweetener)
1/4 cup egg white powder*
zest of one orange
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup Freeze Dried Organic Cherries

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well. Dough will be stiff.  Divide into 20 cookies and roll into balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart, smashing lightly.  Bake 350 10-12 minutes.  Allow to cool on the sheet, about 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container.
*Note: If you do not have egg white powder, you can use 1/2 cup of egg whites and omit the water.

Nutritional information: Yield 20 cookies.  Each cookie contains 73 calories, 5 g fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 2 g fiber (2 net carbohydrate).

There you go darlings! Let's rock the weight loss and healthy whole food eating! Ya know, it isn't about losing weight so much as it is about making sure I take care of this body that God gave me. It is a gift to be alive. I'm treating it that way. 

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

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