Sunday, April 28, 2013

Low Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies



Low Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Made with Xylitol and Coconut Palm Sugar
By Kimberley Stewart


Makes 3 dozen
 
Beat together:
·         1+1/3 cup butter
·         1+1/2 cup Xylitol sweetener
·         1/2 cup Coconut Palm Sugar
·         1/2 cup brown sugar (I cut back the CPS because it had a strong flavor, but it didn’t taste strong once it was mixed into the batter, so you may want to try a full 1 cup of CPS and omit brown sugar.)

Mix in:
·         2 eggs
·         2 tsp vanilla
·         1 tsp baking soda
·         1/2 tsp salt

Stir in:
·         1+1/2 cups whole wheat flour
·         2 cups white unbleached flour

Mix in:
·         2+1/3 cups chocolate chips (more or less)

Pre-heat oven to 350 d.  Once dough is ready,  spoon drops of dough (small golf ball size) onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-11 minutes.  The bottoms and sides of cookies will brown, but the top will stay soft and moist, not crunchy on top.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack…or into your stomach!  I think they taste the same as a regular soft chocolate chip cookie – I would never know the difference, and I am EXTREMELY picky about my chocolate chip cookies!

Info on Xylitol and Coconut Palm Sugar:

Xylitol is a sweetener naturally produced by your body.  Manufactured Xylitol is used in sugar-free gum, mints, and other similar foods.  It has 40% less calories than sugar, is low-glycemic and gluten-free, and can be replaced 1:1 with regular granulated sugar.  It can be used in cooking and baking, but not for any yeast product.  As an added benefit, numerous peer-reviewed studies have shown that regular consumption of Xylitol helps fight tooth decay and reduced cavities over time.  Many dentists are starting to promote Xylitol products to their patients to help protect their teeth.

I am always skeptical of sweeteners that claim to “taste just like sugar” and be as sweet.  Usually, it is too sweet and has a weird aftertaste.  But upon recommendation by my dentist, I ordered a 1 lb bag of Xylitol to see if I could actually bake with it, and make really delicious chocolate chip cookies without sacrificing texture or taste.  When I opened the bag and sampled the Xylitol crystals, I really liked the taste!  No aftertaste at all for me, although some people online have reported a “cooling” sensation as the crystals melt.  And they actually do melt in your mouth – sort of like eating cotton candy.  So, I was hopeful!

Next I opened the bag of Coconut Palm Sugar (CPS) I had also ordered.  CPS is also a sugar substitute, made from the nectar of coconut palm blossoms.  The nectar is dried and then crushed into granules. CPS is preferable to brown sugar because it is not refined sugar cane, but a natural sweetener that retains its nutrients, incl. potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, vitamin C, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6.  It has a low glycemic rating of 35 so it slowly absorbs in your bloodstream.  It looks like coarse brown sugar, and the taste is a little strong (to me), like burnt caramel.  I was hesitant to switch it 1:1 with brown sugar in my recipe.

The brands I bought were made by XyloBurst:  http://www.xyloburst.com/index.php
However, I found the same XyloBurst sweeteners for a cheaper price at: http://hudsonhealthfood.com/categories/Xylitol-Sweeteners-/

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