This month for the Secret Recipe Club I have been assigned to the lovely blog Cooking with Chopin, Living with Elmo. Ginny, who writes it, has two young boys and the recipes are simple but inventive. I immediately fixated on her "sneaky" chickpea chocolate chip cookies. Ginny says that she likes to sneak in some healthy stuff to her baked goods, which is exactly what I love to do. But only if the taste is still good. In fact, I like my cookies to taste like cookies first and healthy second. Which is what these amazing chickpea-stuffed cookies were.
I've adapted Ginny's recipe (which is adapted from Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Declicious) by doubling the amount of chickpeas and mashing them. I also added some cocoa powder, to make these cookies double chocolate flavour. And I switched to whole wheat flour - because if you're going to eat healthy cookies, then why use white flour? And I halved the sugar, which I do every time I bake. No one ever notices.
A group of friends and I went on a long hike on Sunday - 25 km in one of Hong Kong's country parks. After about 10 km I was so hungry and weak. My knees were beginning to shake while climbing the hills. We reached a pavilion which offered some respite from the blazing sun. I ate four of these small cookies and downed my water. After a few minutes rest, I was ready to go again, thanks to the chickpeas and oatmeal.
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Chickpeas
adapted from Cooking with Chopin, Living with Elmo
makes 25 cookies
1/4 c (50 g) butter, softened
1/4 c (50 g) brown sugar
1/4 c (65 g) sugar
3/4 t vanilla extract
1 egg
2 T milk
1/2 c (75 g) canned and drained or cooked chickpeas
150 g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c oats
2 T cocoa
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy and light yellow.
Add the vanilla, egg, and milk and beat to combine.
Mash the chickpeas roughly with a fork and mix into the liquids. Add the chocolate chunks.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
Add to the liquids and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the trays.
Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 12 minutes.
Cool on a rack.
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