Lisa’s been spending her free time baking lately, and today she made a huge batch of chocolate-chip cookies that also have chopped walnuts and peanut butter. We really enjoyed the light, chewy texture of these “healthy” cookies.

Chris says:

Yum, these are good! They’re light and chewy like the soft-baked kind — I like the buckwheat.

Lisa says:

A lot of the reviews mentioned they were kind of cakey. And I changed the recipe a bit based on the flour we had on hand, the original didn’t have buckwheat.

Chris says:

Where’d you see the recipe?

Lisa says:

Cooking Light… they call them “Good-For-You” cookies… they’re healthy! Plus I added walnuts and peanut butter to it.

Chris says:

So, you made them… less healthy?

Lisa says:

Yeah, but more delicious. And it’s not like I added 13 sticks of butter or anything.

Chris says:

Is it bad that I just ate 5 of them?

Lisa says:

Someone has to eat them… hey, where’d the cat go?

Hailey says:

(Almost…) Good-For-You Chocolate-Chip Cookies
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2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup reduced-calorie stick margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
2/3 cup reduced-fat semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Set aside. Combine margarine and sugars in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until light and fluffy. Add applesauce, vanilla, egg, egg white, and peanut butter; beat well. Add dry ingredients; beat at low speed until well-blended. Stir in chips and walnuts.

Drop dough by level teaspoons, 1 inch apart, onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until almost set. Remove from oven; let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; let cool on wire racks.

Makes 5 Dozen

Lisa made this recipe from the book Fitness Food. We didn’t have a baking pan that was the size the recipe asks for, so she used an 8×8 pan and put the remaining mix in muffin pan lined with paper cups. The recipe yielded a full 8×8 pan plus 4 cupcakes.

Lisa says:

Yay for bonus cupcakes!

Chris says:

They’re so good with ice cream and that chocolate sauce. What’s with the walnut on that one brownie?

Lisa says:

There was a walnut laying around, so why not?

Chris says:

Good call.

Reduced Fat Fudge Brownie Cupcakes
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oil spray
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup superfine sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp canola oil
7 oz low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup apple sauce
powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray an 12×8 baking dish with the oil and line the base and 2 long sides with baking paper. Sift the flours, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, yogurt, and apple sauce. Add to the flour and mix well. Spread into baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
The brownie will sink slightly in the center as it cools. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar, cut, and serve.

Lisa made this chili from Cooking Light; it features ground turkey, chipotle peppers, and … chocolate! It was a unique combination that went well together — the spiciness of the chilies was a nice contrast to the chocolate.

Chris says:

This Chocolate Chipotle Chili is Dinner and Dessert in one Dish!

Lisa says:

Soooo chocolaty!

Chris says:

Wow, I’m already getting full.

Lisa says:

See? This is what I’m talking about… a soup that’s actually filling for once!

Chris says:

That chocolate you stir in at the end thickens it up a bit.

Lisa says:

This is awesome — I wouldn’t want it all the time, but I really like the unique flavor.

Chocolate Chipotle Chili
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2 cups diced onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, minced
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup light sour cream
Chopped green onions

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the turkey, onions, bell pepper, and garlic and sautee for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender and turkey is cooked through. Add the sugar through the chipotles to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add *up to* 2 ounces of the chocolate, a little at a time, until you reach your desired consistency and taste.

8 servings

Lisa’s been hankerin’ for this boozy treat for a while now, and she finally found the time to whip it up tonight.

Lisa says:

Wow, this is super sweet. My favorite is the whipped cream and the rims.

Chris says:

Gulp… gulp… gulp… Aaaahhhhh….!!! Delicious!

Kahlua Hot Chocolate
——————–
5 ounces dark chocolate, cut into small pieces, plus extra for mug rims
chopped mixed nuts (peanuts and hazelnuts)
3 cups 1% milk
1 cups fat-free half-and-half cream
sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup Kahlua
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
grated chocolate

To prepare the mugs, heat extra chocolate in a double-boiler until melted and smooth. Dip the rims of each mug into the chocolate, and then roll in chopped nuts. Refrigerate until ready to fill with the hot chocolate.

Heat the chocolate, milk and half and half cream over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, stirring until the chocolate has melted.
Whisk until the mixture is hot and frothy. Add in sugar if desired. Add in the Kahlua and vanilla; contine to whisk until the mixture is hot. Remove from heat.
Pour into prepared mugs and top with whipped cream. Garnish with shaved chocolate.