Sourdough Chunk Cookies #SundaySupper Picnic!

Happy Sunday! I'm personally astonished that it's almost the end of April now... where has the time gone? All of a sudden the snow has melted away and even a good portion of the mud "ponds" have dried up into mere puddles, and when the forecast calls for precipitation it's no longer centimetres of "white stuff" but millimetres of rain. Married with the beginnings of new grass growth in the backyard, this year's crop of tomato seedlings starting to sprout indoors and small bouquets of cut daffodils for Cancer Awareness available in the stores, there's no doubt in my mind that it is, finally, Spring.

One of the major Spring projects my community, as well as my family, takes part in is an outdoor clean-up for Earth Day. It's a time for us to pick up and properly discard all the littler that had been hidden underneath the snow over the winter so that any toxins won't poison the soil and water supply. Depending on the day and who runs the city's version of the event, an eco-friendly lunch follows which always sends people home just that little bit more aware of their ecological impact. I've always been one to try and reduce waste in the kitchen, more out of a desire to save money than anything else, so the idea of making a pack-along dessert for on-the-go noshing that required no extra shopping on my part was right up my alley. I have been nursing a sourdough starter for many years now, and always have sourdough toss-off on my hands. I do my best to use it in whatever I can, from a supplement in bread to an ingredient in hot cross buns, crumpets and even brownies, but I'll admit I still wind up tossing more than my fair share into the compost bin.

Then, I found the perfect solution - cookies that allowed me to use up my excess sourdough quickly (no "1/4 cup" amounts here) and stock my freezer with "bake-on-demand" treats for whenever the moment strikes! The rye-based starter I use guarantees the baked cookies are tender, with a delicate but definite "tang" that works perfectly with almost any addition you can think of - I compiled a host of leftover Valentine's Day and Easter dark chocolate from this year's gift stash and bulked up the rest of the batter with the last of a bag of Love Crunch® Dark Chocolate & Red Berries, which I had received for review in December. Everything else was pantry- and fridge-raided too, and the whole compilation was so successful that I wound up making a second batch to use up all the tiny boxes of Valentine's Day Smarties I had been given and taking it into school for bake sale.

This week at #SundaySupper we're celebrating a two-fer of special days. April 22nd is Earth Day and April 23rd is National Picnic Day - perfectly inter-laceable themes with an eye towards appreciating  our planet. In homage to the theme, our group (led by by T.R. of Gluten Free Crumbley) is sharing recipes perfect for picnicking or otherwise enjoying in the great outdoors.

Appetizers:

• Caprese Skewers by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Crisp Cucumber Salsa with Southwest Style Chips by Momma’s Meals
• French Onion Dip, with Greek Yogurt by Casa de Crews
• Mediterranean Spiced Hummus by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Pepperoni Pinwheels by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Watermelon Salad by annaDishes

Beverages:

• Blackberry Lemonade by The Redhead Baker
• Blueberry Mojito Mocktails by NeighborFood
• Grandma’s Stuff by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Minty Cardinal Punch by Food Lust People Love
• Pineapple Ginger Lemonade Spiked with Turmeric by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Sangria Punch by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade by Noshing With The Nolands

Main Dishes:

• Avocado Sriracha Egg Salad by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Barbecue Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Boneless Chicken Wings by Nosh My Way
• Burger Ice Cream by Brunch with Joy
• Chicken Salad Sliders by Life Tastes Good
• Spanish tortilla by Caroline’s Cooking

Sides:

• Broccoli & Tomato Pasta Salad by Flour On My Face
• Buffalo Macaroni Salad by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Couscous Veggie Salad with Pesto by Cooking Chat
• Fully Loaded Baked Potato Salad by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Granola Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Greek Style Asparagus Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• No Mayo Slaw with Poppyseed Dressing by Palatable Pastime
• Spiralized Beet and Goat Cheese Salad by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Sweet and Tangy Brussels Coleslaw with Fennel, Chopped Apples and Golden Raisins by Simply Healthy Family

Soups and Salads:

• Barley and Rice Salad by Family Foodie
• Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Dried Cranberries by Food Done Light
• Layered Mason Jar Pasta Salad for Two by The Weekend Gourmet
• Smoked Turkey Salad by Our Good Life
• Spinach Salad with Apples & Pecans in an Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette by Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen

Desserts:

• Bacon-Bulleit Brownies by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Fudgey Coca Cola Cake by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Earth Day Cupcakes by Savory Experiments
• Gluten Free Cookie Bars by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Lemon Lime Pound Cake by Vintage Kitchen
• Lemon Yuzu Cookies by NinjaBaker.com
• Mini Lemon Chess Pies by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• No-Bake Cookie Butter Chex Mix Bars by Wallflour Girl
• Peanut Butter Bars by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Peanut Butter Carob Bars by Pies and Plots
• Sourdough Chunk Cookies by What Smells So Good?

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Sourdough Chunk Cookies
Makes 30
¼ cup non-hydrogenated shortening
½ cup sugar
¼ cup Truvia Baking Blend
1 egg
¼ cup melted salted butter
1 cup sourdough starter (toss-off is fine)
1 tbsp vanilla
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cups spelt flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
2 cups assorted chopped chocolate (I used a bunch of dark chocolate squares I had around)
1 cup chunky granola cereal (I used Love Crunch® Dark Chocolate & Red Berries)

1. Beat together shortening, sugar, Truvia and egg until fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg, then stream in the butter and beat thoroughly.
3. Add the vanilla, nutmeg and salt, beating well.
4. Add the flours, baking powder and baking soda, mixing to combine without beating.
5. Fold in chocolate and granola.
6. Scoop tablespoons of dough onto lined cookie sheets, flattening slightly. Cover lightly and chill 1 hour.
7. Heat oven to 350F.
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
9. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, them move to a wire rack and cool completely.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 169.1
Total Fat: 7.7 g
Cholesterol: 10.3 mg
Sodium: 22.3 mg
Total Carbs: 24.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 2.8 g