Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
So...he's been cheating. On me + his diet.
A client who'd been rapidly shedding weight suddenly had 2 weeks without losing a pound despite training HARD. I was suspicious. Yesterday, he fessed up to chomping down processed cookies at home. Boy's been a diet champ until recently. A true "see food" dieter (he'll eat whatever's in front of him), it's easy to plan meals around his location + activities to ravage the cabbage + avoid crap. But when someone else starts doing the household grocery shopping, + is, albeit passively, sabotaging my clients' success...you messed with the wrong trainer! 
Made a pact with my client, if he got wifey on board with our No Processed Crap in the House Rule + went cookie-free this weekend, I'd share my healthy cookie ecipe + bring my fresh baked cookies to his training Monday. Sure, he's allowed to have one of these cookies every day if he likes, but knows he shouldn't be eating them by the handful, decreasing appetite for healthier foods needed to fuel fat-burning workouts. Also makes it infinitely easier to walk past a plate of sweets at the office, party, luncheon or event. HOW'D WE DO IT?1. Sub coconut oil + adding an additional egg delivers the creaminess you think would be lost by removing butter.2. Darker high content cocoa, leaves less room for sugar.3. Add molasses to unrefined coconut sugar + stevia powder permits us the dark rich sweet flavor typically lost when replacing brown sugar in cookies.Many clients + readers live solo, so this recipe intentionally yields a small batch, about 20 cookies. Make + share with friends at a small event or, if worried you'll devour them all in a day if they stay at your house, bake a few at a time + store remaining dough in freezer!
INGREDIENTSAs always, please choose organic GMO free ingredients for YOUR health!1/2 cup gluten free flour1/2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp sea salt1/3 cup coconut oil1/3 cup coconut sugar2 tsp pure stevia extract powder1/3 cup Met Rx Protein Plus Vanilla powder1 tsp vanilla extract3 Tbsp molasses2 eggs1/3 cup gluten free old-fashioned non-instant oats2 oz 85% cocoa dark chocolate, chopped (love TJ's Dark Chocolate Lover's Bar) DIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sift together gf flour, baking soda + salt into small bowl + set aside. In large bowl beat coconut oil with coconut sugar, stevia, protein powder, vanilla + molasses until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Carefully beat in 1/2 flour mixture just until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then repeat with second half. Gently fold in oats with spatula. Repeat with chocolate chips and optional nuts. Scoop up spoonfuls of dough with a teaspoon + arrange on cookie sheet. Bake 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to continue setting up on cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.VARIATIONS 1. Go Nuts. 1/4 cup unsalted toasted pecans or walnuts, finely chopped2. Cherry Almond Chocolate Chip. 1/4 cup chopped dried unsweetened cherries or cranberries, finely chopped. Complement cherry flavor substituting 1/2 tsp of vanilla with almond extract + 1/4 cup unsalted toasted almonds, chopped.
"Cut the Crap" Chocolate Chip Cheater's Cookies featured on Diet.com homepage and "Eat Right" e-newsletter. April 26th, 2010.Need an RRR for your favorite recipe? Got a fitness, diet or nutrition question? Email info@fitnessandfuel-la.com to see it answered in the next FITNESS AND FUEL Blog at www.fitnessandfuel-la.com
