A Couple More Cookies

You have to love how disorganized I can be! Since I'm in the middle of trying to get out of one of my college courses right now (or at least switch it to one that doesnt run from 6:30-9:30 at night! I'll make this preamble short and sweet, which is particularly easy today because both the cookies I've got to share with you are inventions of much more creative bloggers than I!

These first cookies are rich, spicy and (dare I say it) fairly nutritious morsels I ever so slightly adapted from Baking Bites way back in October. Not really chocolatey, but at the same time unable to be defined as anything but, they get their chew and dense texture from canned pumpkin and brown sugar. The cookies don't spread too much, so be sure to press them down a bit after portioning onto the sheets.

Pumpkin Spice Fudge Cookies
Makes 20
1 cup Nutri Flour Blend (or white whole wheat flour)
7 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup Earth Balance (or butter), at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line or lightly spray a baking sheet.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and spice.
3. Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave.
4. Whisk in sugars, then pumpkin puree and vanilla, until smooth.
5. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined into a slightly stiff dough. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Bake 10 minutes, or until set.
7. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 120.1

Total Fat: 4.4 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 40.5 mg
Total Carbs: 20.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 1.7 g

As one of the tapas offerings for Christmas Eve dinner this year, I knew I had to try these cracker-like nut and cocoa wafers that I found on Julie Van Rosendaal's blog (aka Dinner With Julie). Not too sweet (almost bitter, in fact, from the walnuts, olive oil and dark cocoa), with a tart fruity edge from my addition of both dried cranberries and red wine, I figured they would be a perfect pairing for the evening's wine, cheese and dried fruit platters. I'm glad to say I was right! They stayed front and centre the whole evening, and though they are definitely an "adult" cookie (the kids in attendance gave them a wide berth), the adults didn't seem to mind in the least.

Nutty Cocoa and Craisin Crisps
Makes 20
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dark cocoa
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine

1. Preheat oven to 400F, line 3-4 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone.
2. In a bowl, combine flour, nuts, cranberries, cocoa, sugar, flaxseed, baking powder and salt.
3. Add olive oil, water and wine. Mix well, until thoroughly combined.
4. Between two sheets of parchment, roll walnut-sized balls of dough into very thin sheets.
5. Transfer carefully to the prepared sheets and peel off the parchment.
6. Bake 9-10 minutes, until firm. Cool 20 minutes on the sheets before moving.
7. Store in an airtight container.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 117.2
Total Fat: 7.9 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 0.7 mg
Total Carbs: 10.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.1 g
Protein: 1.6 g