BS”D
Rich and Healthy Chocolate Chunk Cookies!
(as our Russian friend says, “Better to be rich and healthy than sick and poor!”)
By Nechama Dina Smith
Hi everyone! I’m not a professional cookie crafter by any means. I leave perfection and glamor in baking to my daughter. For me, all I care about is that the treats have healthy ingredients in them and that at least some of my children will like them (you can’t please everyone around here!)
So I adapted a recipe from Binah Magazine by Milky Goldberger that used tahini in the cookies.
If you like halvah, you will love these cookies. If you don’t like halva, you will still like them, because the taste is not super noticeable.
Before I tell you the recipe, I just want to rave a bit about the benefits of these ingredients. You might think I’m trying to justify my enjoyment of eating junk food (they are cookies!). Maybe I am a little, but you do have to hear the greatness of these ingredients.
First, coconut oil. I use unrefined, because I like the taste in the cookies, plus we get all the benefits, unadulterated. Coconut oil resists heat-induced damage and is nature’s richest source of medium chain triglycerides, making this oil utilized easily and readily by the liver and not stored as fat in the body. Regular use improves brain function, stimulates metabolism, may support weight loss, is antiviral and antibacterial and thus may help prevent colds and flus, is anti-inflammatory, converts the “bad” cholesterol to the “good” cholesterol, aids in digestion, and keeps candida yeast at bay.
Next, tahini. Tahini is sesame seed butter. It is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids which is good for brain health and reducing risk of Alzheimer’s. Omega 3’s are also good for reducing harmful cholesterol levels and lowering risk of stroke and heart disease. It contains minerals like copper, iron, selenium and zinc and thus keeps our immune system healthy. Tahini has lots of magnesium and phosphorus, which are very important for bone health, and the magnesium is additionally helpful to manage blood glucose levels. Tahini has antioxidants like lignans which may reduce hormone-related cancers.
Next is sugar. I used half maple syrup and half unrefined coconut sugar. Both are better than refined sugar because they don’t hold the same extreme addictive quality as white sugar does and the trace minerals they contain help the body balance the sweetness and not get a sugar rush.
Vanilla: this fragrant flavoring is not only tasty but the chemical component of vanillin is linked with lowering cholesterol and alleviating gout and arthritis. Its antioxidants prevent cell breakdown and eliminate free radicals, and its small traces of minerals including potassium help regulate heart rate and blood pressure. Vanilla’s B vitamins are good for enzyme synthesis, the nervous system, and metabolism.
Chia seeds! They are a quick and easy source of protein, healthy fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Chia was a prize food to the ancient Aztecs and Mayans. Because of their high antioxidant level, they can last two years unrefrigerated. 60 percent of its oil is Omega 3 which is also linked to cardiovascular health, fighting inflammation, and lowering the risk for diabetes. Its phytochemicals have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. They also are hepatoprotective--lessening liver fat and inflammation. There are 10 grams of fiber in only two tablespoons. (Some people just use chia seeds for the fiber. Little do they know they get all these other health benefits too!)
Gluten-free flour: this is a way of avoiding white flour which has no nutrition. Depending what you choose, gluten-free flour can be nutritious or just unharmful. You can use almond flour, arrowroot powder, or the gluten free flour mixes now available in regular stores. That’s what I used this time. Next time I'll try the more beneficial arrowroot powder.
Baking soda. I heard it’s not bad for you. Who knows? You could probably omit it if you want, if you don’t mind a denser cookie.
Cinnamon: I love adding this spice; it really balances out the sugars and helps your blood sugar levels handle the sweetness. Cinnamon alleviates certain cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s, inflammation and tooth decay. Ceylon cinnamon, not cassia, is recommended.
And last but not least--in fact, I think the best ingredient, is cacao nibs! (I did not say this was a cheap recipe!) In the original recipe it called for chocolate chips. We were brave and replaced it with cacao nibs and although by themselves they are not sweet, inside the cookies it gives a wonderful crunch and also feels like sweet chocolate from being incorporated into the cookies.
Cacao is very high in antioxidants, higher than green tea and red wine! It contains hundreds of health-promoting chemicals. The Kuna people of Panama consume up to 40 cups of cocoa a week and have less than a 10 percent risk of stroke, heart attack, cancer, and diabetes which in the Western world are highly prevalent. There are many studies that show cacao’s antidiabetic, neuroprotective benefits, as well as anti-inflammatory, anti carcinogenic, ani-thrombotic, anti obesity, and cardioprotective effects including lowering blood pressure. Cacao can improve liver function, skin conditions, and gastrointestinal fora, slow periodontitis and protect vision. It also improves exercise endurance and protects against preeclampsia in pregnancy. Just make sure to use unprocessed cacao nibs or powder (if processed, the manufacturers often decrease the polyphenol content, thus removing the bitterness and defeating the purpose.)
Now for the recipe:
Rich and Healthy Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients: ½ C. organic, unrefined coconut oil
3/4 C. tahini paste
¾ C. maple syrup
¾ C. organic coconut sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 T. chia seeds, mixed with 6 T. water and allowed to sit and gel up for 10 or 15 minutes
2 C. gluten-free flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ to 1 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ C. cacao nibs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 metal cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat oil, tahini, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla and chia seed mixture for 2 minutes on high.
Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, combining the dry ingredients in the center and then mixing everything in the bowl together.
Add cacao nibs and mix till combined.
Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto the pans, leaving space between them for cookies to expand.
Bake at 350 for 15--20 minutes, rotating halfway through.
When done, remove from the oven and wait a few minutes before tasting.
The bracha is shehakol. Enjoy! And keep eating healthy. It’s worth it!
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