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The Best Low Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Friday I felt like baking.  I love sweets.  Scouring the internet I found a recipe for low fat chocolate chip cookies.  PERFECT as the hubby and I try to eat low fat and healthy.

Batter mixed

Scooped on to cookies trays.  I use a melon baller scoop to 

make nice round cookies

Out of the oven, cooling

I barely let these bad boys cool before trying them.  Oh are they good.  Needless to say today is sunday and they are gone already.  I had help, hubby and my stepson Matt did most of the damage.  The recipe calls for 1/2 cup reg flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour.  I didn't have the whole wheat pastry flour so I use a cup of reg flour.  Next time I will try half and half if I can find whole wheat pastry flour.  

Here's the recipe I used.....  Courtesy of Cookingdonelight

Skinny Low-fat Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Servings: 12 • Size: 2 cookies • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 170.7 • Fat: 5.0 g • Protein: 1.4 g • Carb: 34.5 g • Fiber: 1.4 g • Sugar:25.4 g
Sodium: 113.1 mg

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line two cookie sheets with non-stick silicone baking liners such as Silpats (I highly recommend for best results) or lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. 

ILightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir to blend. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugars, butter, egg white, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a splash of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out.

Drop by level spoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets coated lightlywith cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 -10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let stand 5 minutes before removing the cookies from the pans to cool on wire racks. Enjoy!

Makes 2 dozen cookies. Per cookie: 61 calories, 1.5 g total fat, less than 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 11 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 9 g added sugar, 2 g protein, 37 mg sodium, less than 1 g cholesterol.

TIPS and TRICKS:

So sometimes chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy one time, and then thin and crispy another time when using the same recipe. And sometimes, the soft cookies seem to get hard after a day, and the crisp cookies seem to get soft. This is the dilemma of the chocolate chip cookie! So why does this happen? Well, very subtle changes in proportions, mixing methods, and baking can produce very big differences.

What makes cookies soft and chewy is a high moisture content, as well as baking time and oven temperature. “Binding” the water with the flour – through the use of butter, eggs, and\or brown sugar (brown sugar contains molasses, which is 10 percent water) – slows its evaporation. The dough needs a little extra flour, which makes it stiffer. The stiff dough spreads less, less liquid evaporates, and the cookies are thicker. Mass also helps cookies stay moist–big dollops of dough make softer and chewier cookies than tiny spoonfuls of dough. Bake these thick cookies for a shorter time at a high temperature to firm them quickly and minimize spreading, and most importantly don’t bake them too long. You want to remove them from the oven when the outer edges are light brown but at least 1/3 of the center top remains pale. The cooked centers will then be softer.

However, too much extra liquid in your dough will make the dough more elastic and will add steam as they bake, making them puff more and come out more “cake-like”. So it really is a very delicate balance.

Now on the other hand, reducing the amount of ingredients that will hold moisture makes it easier for liquid to evaporate, which will produce thinner, crispy, crunchy cookies. For crispness, bake cookies longer at a lower temperature to give them more time to spread before they firm. Then bake them long enough to “dry” and brown them evenly to develop the maximum toasty flavor and crisp texture throughout.

If you typically have trouble with your cookies spreading too much (you know, those thin wafer-like wisps that were so NOT what you were hoping for!), most often the cause is low-fat butter or margarine spread, which has about 20 percent more water. When you use it in place of “regular” butter or margarine, this extra liquid causes a problem because now there is way too much moisture and the batter becomes almost runny once you put it near the heat. Low-fat products can’t be used interchangeably with regular fats for baking without making other recipe adjustments. Cookies can also spread too much when you drop the dough onto a warm or hot baking sheet; the heat “melts” the dough, and the cookies spread before they’re baked enough to hold their shape. Always make sure the baking sheets used are at room temperature (I put mine in the fridge for a few minutes before I drop the dough on).So, the way that we measure our ingredients and the “real” temperature of our our ovens are the usual reasons that we all get different results from the same recipe. Flour should always be stirred to loosen and fluff it, then spooned gently into a dry-measure cup (the kind you fill to the rim) and the top scraped level with the back of a butter knife. If you tap the cup or scoop flour from the bag, the flour gets packed down and you can easily add 2 to 4 extra tablespoons flour per cup.

You can scoop up white sugar, because it doesn’t pack, but you should firmly pack brown sugar into a dry-measure cup and scrape the top level. Dry ingredients should not be measured in heaped-up cups or with spoons; you always want to scrape dry ingredients level with the surface. Always measure liquid ingredients with liquid-measuring cups.

If your cookies bake faster or slower than the recipe indicates that they should, chances are your oven’s thermostat is not registering accurately. It’s a good idea to double-check your oven temperature every once in a while with an oven thermometer and adjust the oven temperature as needed (oven thermometers only cost a few dollars, and can be found in most supermarkets).

So, there you go! I hope that all of this information helps, and that everyone gets their cookies to turn out “just they way they like them!!” Good Luck, and if anyone has any further questions, feel free to get in touch.

February??

Ok where did January go?  Not only are we 3 days into February but this winter hasn't been a winter.  If we had a complete 2 weeks of cold weather since winter started I would be surprised.  I'm not complaining but I kinda like the cold weather once in a while.  Ok, I'm weird I know, but I love bulky sweaters, hot tea, a warm fireplace and flannel sheets.

If you live in the North East then you know Punxsutawney Phil He's the most famous groundhog in P.A Every year we wait to see if there will be 6 more weeks of winter or early spring.  This year he saw his shadow so 6 more weeks of winter.  Really?  Not the way this one is going.

Enough about the weather.  It's super bowl weekend!!!  Although in my house we are huge Jets fans, being a "New Yorker"  I'm pulling for the Giants to upset the Patriots just like their meeting in 2007.

In honor of Super Bowl weekend enjoy 10% off your entire order.  Enter offer code SUPERBOWL2012 at checkout 

GO GIANTS

Xo,

K

Bread Part2

I realized I never posted a picture of the bread I made.  That loaf is long gone but I made a new loaf yesterday.  Even yummier that the first.  This one I made with half bread flour and half wheat flour.  It used less ingredients than the 100% whole wheat but this loaf is fat free.  I used the recipe found that came with the instruction booklet.

This is yesterdays loaf.  I just had a slice for breakfast mmm....

Here is the recipe:

1 2/3 cups water

3 1/2 cups wheat flour

1 1/2 cups bread flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp dry active yeast

This is the recipe from/for the Zojirushi bread maker, I can't say it will work for all break makers but I can't see why not.

In business news I'm looking to revamp the shop,  organize the shop sections and slowly add some new items.  Soon there will be more wedding decor, favors/gifts and play sets.  I'm really excited about a new play set addition but can't say just yet!

Did you see the new blocks sets in the shop?  Personalized children's name blocks, so cute for a nursery.  Great baby shower gift if the sex of the child is known.  The patterns on the blocks are hand painted and NOT paper.  A lot of block sets you out there are decoupage paper on the blocks, not here!.  The price is $4.00 per block

TGIF for now

XO,

K

The School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Potter stopped by the shop this week.  Harry Potter that is.  I had a custom request from a lovely customer for a Harry Potter set including Hagrid, Snape, Voldemort, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Hermoine, Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy.  I just love how they turned out so they are now apart of the Knottingwood family

Raggedy Ann and Andy also stopped by. 

I have quite a few project ideas on the table and in my head.  Each weekend I've been taking time to create new items to keep the shop fresh.  M-F is dedicated to custom orders.  I like the new work schedule as it gives me a chance to get creative and keep me out of a rut.

The husband and I are enjoying a nice holiday weekend hope you are too!  Oh and I made my first loaf of bread in the bread maker this week.  Came out fab!  I'll share some soon!

XO,

K

Bread Master

In an effort to control the ingredients in the foods my husband and I eat, I made the move and purchased a bread maker.  I can now make natural, organic bread with simple ingredients.  No more processed bread for us.  A huge money saver too!

I ordered the Zojirushi from Bed Bath and Beyond.  It came yesterday!  I'm so excited to try it out.  Not only can you make white, whole wheat, sour dough and more you can make pizza dough, jam and even meatloaf.  It has a timer so you can set it up the night before and wake up to fresh baked bread.  YUM.

Tomorrow night will be our first attempt at pizza dough.  Crossing my fingers we don't blow it.  I think we'll be fine.

Tune in tomorrow to find out how we did!

XO,

K

Texas?

My husband called me from work today.  He was told by his boss that 60% of his department will possibly relocated to Maryland or Huston (most likely Houston).  Some time mid to the end of this year.  He asked me how I felt about it.   How do I feel about?

Hot dog I'm ready to pack my bags now!  I see as it as an adventure I might not have ever had the chance to experience.  Not to mention you can get a home twice the size of ours for half the price! He has more hesitations than I do.  Mostly b/c my in-laws are 83 and we would be so far away (but as my mom would say "that's what plans are for") and kids although the 2 older ones are adults, Matt will be 16 this year.

It's really not a choice. If we don't go Joe has no job and we have no heath insurance. (He works for a brokerage firm)  He has to be covered considering he has a heart condition.  It's not definite but it's a huge possibility.  He also worries about me, but I up for the adventure.  Most of my family lives in SC and FL.

I would miss a few things and hope I can find somewhere in Houston.  Real NY Bagels, NY Pizza, Pork stores ( butcher )  and Pork Roll (it's a Jersey thing)  Other than that... Huston hear I come.

We'll see what the future holds but I game for the adventure......

XO,

K

Special Occasion Design

Dear Brides need some help designing your perfect wedding?  Check out Special Occasion Design.  They have a lovely selection of vendors from favors and table settings to cake toppers ( Knottingwood is proudly featured there!)  Most of the vendors are from Etsy it's a great way to support handmade.

They also have a DIY section for your inter crafter.  Not only can they help you plan your wedding they have items for baby showers, bridal showers, anniversaries and more.   Bookmark the blog for great planning tips.

May your special day be the one of your dreams!

XO,

K