Healthy Cookies? Not.

I know this just doesn't sound right "healthy cookies", and I don't really think my cookies were healthy for Cooking Club tonight, but they were a hit! Let me rephrase that, they were by NO means healthy. I just used "better choices" in the recipe. While they were good (I didn't take a final product picture, but I will and they were CUTE!), they didn't taste anything like the delicious cookies my cousin made this past year for Christmas.

Here is the recipe and how I "altered" it.

Grandma Giorgio's Cookies (Revised)

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons Vanilla
6 Eggs
2 Cups Sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw)
2 1/2 Sticks Butter (I used Organic Unsalted Butter)
6 or 8 cups flour (I used Kroger Wheat Flour)
6 Heaping teaspoons of Baking Powder

Mix in Electric Mixer
Eggs
Sugar
Vanilla
Butter

Mix with remaining ingredients.
Let raise 1/2 hour
Roll out dough and cut out with cookie cutters
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes on an un greased cookie sheet

For Frosting:
(I messed this up, I bought bakers squares of White chocolate, and although it "worked" it wasn't the same delicate topping I remembered. Like I said, this part was not healthy at all.)


You basically just melt it for 2 minutes in the microwave, after one minute stir then dip them in it. I put little pink sugar on the top, because they were shaped as hearts!


Other ways for frosting:
White Chocolate in little disks to melt

Mix powdered sugar, milk and cream of tartar

Just buy white icing (cream cheese frosting) and put in bowl to make fluffy

Sugar in the Raw

 

Sugar In The Raw natural cane turbinado sugar is grown and cut exclusively in the tropics. There, nature's own sweetener is gently converted into the natural crystals that make Sugar In The Raw.

The secret lies in the fact that Sugar In The Raw is never bleached or over processed. It is the result of slow boiling layer upon layer of high colored cane- allowing the golden crystals to retain their natural molasses and bringing the extra flavor and richness that nature intended. You'll immediately recognize the difference in our large crystals and deep golden hue. Sugar In The Raw adds rich taste to coffee and tea drinks and a robust flavor to baked goods. Its distinct luster and depth of its crystals distinguish Sugar In The Raw from all other natural sugars. 

At our Cooking Club we also had salmon, bak choy (my favorite Chinese vegetable!), cauliflower with bread crumbs and cheese, red pepper hummus, and a health drink from the Weight Watchers website, I'll post later.

It was a fun night. I have a lot of decisions to make in the upcoming weeks.

Back on the treadmill...

It's always hard for me to fall asleep Sunday night. Probably because I love sleeping in Sunday! I fell asleep really late last night, so was exhausted at work. I got home from work and slept from 2-5:30 PM today! Not good. I woke up, ate dinner and went to the gym to complete my 4.5 comfortable pace run. I haven't been on the treadmill in over a week, since I've been on the track. It was hard to get back on it, since my preference is OUTSIDE, track, treadmill. The track and treadmill don't do justice for running outside, but the track was nice compared to the treadmill.

I ran 4.5 miles in 42 minutes and 59 seconds.                              

I tried Organic Peanut Butter this morning with my bread. It was definitely not as creamy as regular, but it was still good. I really like this multigrain bread as well. I need a better picture to link the brand.

I can't believe it's already 9:45 PM. Probably since my day consisted of sleeping. Tomorrow my friends and I are doing a "cooking club" where everyone brings one dish (appetizer, main, drink, dessert) and there is always wine and a different theme. We do it about once a month, I just joined since I returned home from Bangkok. Tomorrow's theme is "healthy eating". I have dessert! It was originally Valentine's Day themed and I really wanted to make these cookies my cousin made for Christmas. I decided I am going to attempt them tomorrow substituting ingredients to make it "healthier". Some ideas I had were to substitute the butter for organic butter, sugar for sugar in the raw, and flour to whole wheat flour. By making them mini, will make them healthier because we won't be tempted to eat so many! I will see how they turn out tomorrow and maybe even document the process.

I need to get back on a normal schedule for the week, goodnight!