Egg Biscuits

An Italian Tradition...
The egg biscuit. It is a very simple cookie which has it's roots in the Italian-American culture. It's a favorite with afternoon tea, especially among the older generation of Italian Rhode Islanders. My version is a lactose-free version using lite coconut milk. I actually prefer this recipe to the original.

Egg Biscuits
Recipe by Mixed Salad Annie
lactose free recipe

3 eggs
¾ cup corn oil
4 cups flour, plus more if needed
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup lite coconut milk
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
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Confectioners sugar
Lite coconut milk
A few drops of pure vanilla extract
Colored sprinkles

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix sugar, oil, eggs and extracts with beater. Gradually add the dry ingredients alternately with milk. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. Set on a floured board. Take about a tablespoon of dough and roll into 6 or 7 inch ropes, twisting into ball-shaped knots. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet; bake for 5 minutes and turn pan. Bake for another 4-5 minutes or until light brown on the bottom (approximately 9 to 10 minutes total).

Frost with Confectioners Sugar Icing:
Add coconut milk and a few drops of vanilla extract to confectioners sugar until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Frost each cookie with about a tablespoon of icing. Add colored sprinkles while the icing is wet.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

A "So Called Healthier" Cookie...to Die For!!

When I first saw this recipe on the food network it was touted as a healthier chocolate cookie. Ellie Krieger, who is a nutritionist, came up with the recipe and made them on her show Healthy Appetite.

At first I believed that they were healthier because she only uses 1/2 stick of butter and replaces the other half with a more heart healthy fat, canola oil. She also replaces half of the all purpose white flour with whole wheat flour, which has more fiber and nutrients. The sugar is reduced slightly as well.

O.k. sounds healthier right? Well it does until you look at the amount of dough and number of cookies it makes. There is only one cup total of flour in the recipe. Most cookie recipes call for at least 2 cups of flour and use one stick of butter. So the ratio of flour to butter is the same, and then she adds more fat with the oil. Hey don't get me wrong, these cookies were absolutely delicious, but healthy, I'm not so sure about that!

I did alter the recipe a bit. First off by doubling it. Who would bother make cookies with one cup of flour? Really. Also, because I didn't have unprocessed cocoa. I'm glad that I noticed that in the original it says to use unsweetened cocoa (not processed dutch). I only had Droste cocoa which is dutch processed and you cannot interchange these two cocoas in recipes.

In researching this on the web I found out that Dutch-Processed cocoa is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Therefore it must be used in recipes calling for baking powder because it is neutral and does not react with baking soda. That is unless there are other acidic ingredients in sufficient quantities used.

I also substituted chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate. I would highly recommend Giardelli bittersweet (60% cocoa) chocolate chips. They are slightly larger than traditional chocolate chips and the flavor is unbelievable. The chocolaty flavor lingers in your mouth long after you've eaten a cookie! I think it made this recipe even better!

Triple Chocolate Cookies
adapted from Ellie Krieger

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch processed)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (recommended Giardelli bittersweet~60% cocoa)
2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the oil and egg and beat until creamy. Mix in the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in the dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and the pecans and mix well. Using a tablespoon, scoop the batter onto an ungreased (parchment lined) cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.