I know what you're thinking... Who puts a picture of cookies on a health blog?! Well, a real person does, me! If you only know one thing about me you should know I LOVE food! BUT "health and wellness" and living your "best life" (Oh yes here we go with an Oprah reference! ha ha) is also important to me. So I want to go on a culinary journey of nutrition with you by first posting a recipe for my all time favorite cookie, the "s'mores cookie", to show you that I am a real person that eats real food! AND all the while giving you some tips on how NOT to eat the whole batch in one sitting! Oh yes, been there, I get it, no more guilt over food though, ok? Moderation and portion control can be your friends, if you let them, promise! SO let's take the opportunity of today to make a fresh start, and move on from old food habits. This blog is here to debunk food myths, get you moving, and to show you that you can be happy and fit, and still enjoy the sweet things in life!
S'mores Cookies
11 Tablespoons of Crisco shortening (butter-flavored)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chunks)
1 cup mini marshmallows
1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper or foil.
Lay out graham crackers next to each other, but not touching.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon to combine. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and combine on low speed.
Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows.
Place golf ball size rounds of dough onto each square of graham cracker.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until dough is beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. ENJOY!
*In weeks to come, I will be posting nutrition information for recipes, but let's get real here, this is a cookie! 2 will do you and really who wants to ruin a sweet moment like this counting calories. So let's take this for what it is, your indulgent day, but again 2 would be a wonderful "moderation" tool to exercise here, and why waste your trip to the gym because you over indulged? Do you really like exercising that much? I didn't think so. And for those of you who answered, "Yes I love to workout, constantly! It's amazing and wonderful!" Uh, lay off the caffeine, we know that even YOU want to sleep-in sometimes. So here are some of my "sweet treat" tips to keep your healthy lifestyle on track and still enjoy your cookie!
1. only bake half the dough. or what you're going to eat. dough freezes great! freeze the other half in a freezer bag, or plastic wrap and tin foil, and use as needed. then you don't have to have those cookies staring at you from the pantry as a midnight snack the entire week!
2. use the rule of 2. two cookies won't compromise your otherwise healthy routine, (or spike your blood sugar putting you on an unhealthy roller coaster of craving more!) now that doesn't mean a cookie everyday keeps the doctor away, that's apples, people, but once a week won't hurt, and stick with me, I have some calorie cutting recipes for healthier cookies coming your way!
3. bake for a friend or neighbor. craving cookies? make a small batch for yourself and bring the rest to somebody you love. cookies=friends, everybody likes to feel special so go ahead and treat someone today, and keep yourself on track at the same time.
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