Saturday, December 31, 2011

Healthier Tiger Stripe Cookies, a Chocolate Treat For Everyone

Healthier Tiger Stripe Cookies, a Chocolate Treat For Everyone

When my daughters were little I baked cookies regularly. With one exception, Oreo cookies, my kids knew little about store-bought. All of our cookies were homemade and I made one or two kinds each week. I have hundreds of cookie recipes and, like most people, nibble on raw dough and taste the cookies to see how the batch turned out.

When it comes to baking, unfortunately, I'm my own best customer. I stopped baking cookies after I gained weight. But my teenage grandchildren live with us now and they are always hungry. Grocery prices are shooting up and, to save money, I decided to bake cookies again. So I'm back to baking some of our family's favorite cookies, including Tiger Cookies.

The recipe was originally published on the Kellogg's Frosted Flakes box. I found the recipe in "Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars," by Ceil Dyer. Published in 1979, my cook book is frayed, falling apart, and the pages are covered with drips. Since the cook book was published I've learned a lot about nutrition and decided to create a healthier version of Tiger Cookies.

I substituted half white, half wheat flour for all-purpose flour. This flour is heavier than regular, so I used less. For sweetness I used half Splenda and half sugar. Instead of two eggs, I used one and some egg substitute. The biggest change in the recipe was the shortening. The original recipes calls for butter or margarine. I used I Can't Believe it's not Butter! This stick margarine, a blend of soybean and canola oils, has 50% less fat than butter, 0 grans of trans fat, and 0 cholesterol per one tablespoon serving. Because I'm a vanilla nut I doubled the amount.

While these cookies freeze well, they are fragile, so put them in a plastic container, not a plastic zipper bag. A cookie and a glass of milk make a delicious after school snack. For an unusual dessert, fold broken cookies into sugar-free, fat-free vanilla ice cream. I think everyone in your family will enjoy these Healthier Tiger Stripe Cookies. My grandson's friends eat them by the handfull!

Healthier Tiger Stripe Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups half white, half wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup I Can't Believe it's Not Butter! (2 sticks)

1/2 cup Splenda (regular)

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup egg substitute

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups frosted corn flakes, crushed to make 1 1/2 cups

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Method

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Cream margarine, Splenda and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, egg substitute, and vanilla. Fold crushed cereal into batter. Drizzle melted chocolate chips over batter and fold in with rubber scraper, making sure to leave some streaks. (You don't want the batter to be all chocolate.) Drop by teaspoons into prepared baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. If you are using no-stick baking pans, reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake a little longer. Makes at least 5 dozen cookies.

Copyright 2009 by Harriet Hodgson

Healthier Tiger Stripe Cookies, a Chocolate Treat For Everyone

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