LOWER SUGAR OATMEAL & RAISON COOKIES/BARS

Old-fashioned cookies up-dated for sugar-conscious times...

Classic Oatmeal & Raisin Cookies, updated:
lower sugar & higher fibre, still great taste 

Most North American women of pensionable age started baking in their teens.  First came chocolate chip cookies (such a revelation, no one wanted to stop baking!), then 'devil's food' chocolate cake, then oatmeal and raisin cookies.

Oatmeal cookies - crisp, thick & chewy with health-giving oats and juicy raisins - were meant to be an antidote to the gorgeous chocolateness of previous efforts.  The best oatmeal cookies, however, have a great deal of sugar: brown, white and in the dried fruit.

In this recipe 67 reduced sugar levels, added fibre and made a few other changes without affecting deliciousness. 67 also followed one of Ina Garten's methods: baking the same dough as cookies and bars.  

Stored in an air-tight container, they're as good on the second day as on the day they're baked.  If the week is shaping up to be a busy one,  the cookies can be made the day before they're needed. 

Some planning is required; the raisins should be soaked in orange juice for 4-5 hours or overnight. 

In How to...Bake with less Guilt (Have Your Cake and Still Stay Healthy) 67goingon50 recommended partially replacing some products with others: wholemeal flour, ground almonds and dried, unsweetened coconut. This recipe - and future ones - includes some of those items.

         See this week's How to...Adapt Baking for a Healthier,  Lower-sugar Lifestyle for tips on what and how to do.

Cost: £2 
Makes: about 45 medium cookies (recipe halves nicely)

Ingred:

   10oz/283gm raisins
   1 juicy orange

    4oz/125gm butter, at room temperature
   6oz/170gm light or dark brown sugar
    
   2 large eggs (or 3 small), at room temperature
   2 tsp vanilla
   
   5oz/142gm plain white flour
   2.5oz/79gm wholemeal flour
   1 tsp baking powder
   1 tbsp powdered cinnamon
   1/4 tsp salt
   2-3oz/56gm ground almonds (less will give softer cookies)
    
   6oz/170gm oatmeal
   
Equipment:  

• 2 cookie trays lined with greaseproof paper (stick corners down to keep paper flat)
• small (20ml) ice-cream scoop or equiv
• cooling racks OR
• small baking tin (opt) for oatmeal bars (67 used a 5x9.5 inch12x25cm dish but one slightly larger will also do)

Method:

1. (Night/few hours before baking) Put raisins in a sieve and blanche with boiling water to remove preservatives; drain. Put in a shallow bowl, add freshly squeezed orange juice (bits are not a problem); cover with cling film; leave 4-5 hours or preferably overnight. 
2. Preheat oven to 180c/160fan/250f/gas4
3. Sift flours (the roughage in the wholemeal will be left in the sieve; tip it in at the end), baking powder & cinnamon into a bowl
4. Using electric beaters or stand-alone mixer, beat butter and sugar on med speed until light, pale & fluffy (a few mins)
5. Add eggs & vanilla; beat on low speed till blended
6. Add flour and ground almonds; mix on low speed till incorporated; add oatmeal & mix; use a spatula to check the batter on the bottom & sides of bowl are mixed in
7. Drain raisins, discarding juice; add to cookie dough; mix on low speed until evenly distributed
8. For cookies: Place slightly rounded scoops of dough onto the cookie sheet 2in/5cm apart; if the dough is very stiff, press the tops down a little with fingers or a wet tablespoon 
9. Place tray in centre of oven one at a time; bake 15-20 mins. (Note: the first tray took 17 mins; the 2nd a scant 15mins)
10. Let cookies cool on the tray (on a cooling rack) 5 mins, then remove with a fish slice & place directly on cooling rack
11. For bars:

    

    Oatmeal & Raisin Bars

    Spoon dough into lined baking dish and level with spatula, pushing dough into corners; bake 30-35 mins.  A toothpick/cocktail stick inserted into the middle may come out a bit sticky but it will be ok.

Comment:
    'Great cookies! I liked these; they were crisp on the outside, lovely and soft in the middle and not too sweet.' 20-something Australian 
    'The  oatmeal bars were 'gorgeous' and unusual but in a good way.' The chaps at a local butchers


Tips:

• For a special occasion, drizzle lightly with a bit of melted chocolate OR or a loose icing made few tablespoons of sifted icing sugar, a generous pinch of cinnamon and a dribble of milk or water.  
• use toppings sparingly; the cookies are quite sweet already

    

 more low/no added sugar Nav Bar/Recipes II                            

                       Please leave a Comment in the box below 

This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission. 

HOW TO...A GUIDE TO ADAPTING BAKING FOR HEALTHIER, LOWER-SUGAR LIFESTYLES

No one should be deprived of cakes and biscuits because of worries about sugar. 

An Adaptation of Nigella's Vegan Chocolate Cake 

updated Oct 2018

Portion control is one important factor in How to...Bake with Less Guilt (or How to...Have Your Cake, Eat it and Still Stay Happy). 

67goingon50 also recommended replacing some products with others in order to reduce sugar and increase fibre to slow down sugar absorption.  

This week's How to... gives a step-by-step guide to how 67 took a classic (sugar-laden) recipe for Oatmeal Cookies and altered it to make it less sweet and more healthy.

The original recipe came from Essentials of Baking by Williams-Sonoma, published by Oxmoor House (£34 new in hardcover, but apparently as low as £4 at you-know-where).  The book is brilliant; it's one of the textbooks for chefs wanting to work in pastry (baking) kitchens.  It's full of useful information about baking techniques and contains great recipes, though one suspects they were created for people enjoying them in commercial surroundings.        

This post:

• shows the original recipe
• marks out the ingredients which will be changed
• gives reasons why the changes were made
• analyses the response
• details further changes

Original Recipe Ingredients, (potential changes in italics)

• 235gr/7.5oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 220gm/7oz firmly packed golden brown sugar
• 125gm/4oz granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 140gm/5
• 140gm/4.5oz rolled oats
• 375gm/12oz raisins

Changes 

• replaced 2.5 oz of plain flour with wholemeal flour - that's about 1/3 of the total but 1/4 of the total is also ok. Because: wholemeal flour slows down the absorption of sugars.  It also adds fibre, which is good for the digestion, and is heart friendly.  Note: children under 6 years should not consume too much wholemeal flour; it's bad for their digestion

• reduced the amount of sugar by 75gm/2oz in each category. Because: sugar in many societies was a luxury but has become commonplace; many classic recipes contain a good deal more sugar than the recipe needs to satisfy people with a sweet craving 

• replaced the missing sugar with ground almonds. Because the amount of sugar is calculated to balance the amount of butter; the almonds keep the proportions right. Ground almonds also add sweetness without sugar.  Note: ground almonds can be replaced totally or 50-50 with dried unsweetened coconut, which sweetens when baked. The blogger did not do so because someone was allergic to coconut

• offered a replacement for two large eggs - 2.5 normal eggs or 3 small eggs -  because not everyone wants to rush out to buy large eggs when there are normal eggs at home. Note: a bit of extra egg gives cookies a slightly more cake-like texture       

• reduced the amount of raisins by 58gm/2oz. Because dried raisins contain a great deal of sugar, even if it's fruit sugar

• soaked the raisins in orange juice overnight. Because the fresh orange juice adds sweetness without sugar. And because soaking overnight plumped up the raisins, preventing the shrivelled bits of aching sweetness that catch in the teeth! Note: soaking in tea would add a different level of flavour but maybe not so much sweetness

• increased the amount of oatmeal. Because: to compensate for the lower volume of raisins 

Response to initial changes

The Blogger still found the cookies overly sweet.  Some testers strongly agreed; while others enjoyed them immensely.  The chaps at my local butchers, who tested the product, pronounced them 'gorgeous' and unusual.  One young female lawyer - a confessed cookie addict who may have been very hungry - ate four in one sitting.  

Final changes

• sugar levels were cut even further, bearing in mind that the natural sweetness of the raisins was intensified by the fresh orange juice 
• the amount of oatmeal was reduced slightly

Response to final changes

The Blogger: 'Very satisfied; hard to have just one.  They had a good texture in and out and weren't too sweet.  Some of the cookies had a pronounced dome but the oven, not the recipe, may be at fault'. 

Launderette Manager, her family and friends: 'Nearly everyone really liked them, with a few definitely wanting more.  For some, maybe a little less cinnamon would be an improvement.'

A 20-something Singleton:   'Great cookies; I liked these.  They were crisp on the outside, lovely and soft in the middle and not too sweet.' 

A classic recipe transformed, for the better

The many alterations to the original make the Oatmeal & Raisin cookies an original 67goingon50 product inspired by Essentials of Baking, rather than a recipe from Essentials of Baking. 

                             

                         Please leave a Comment in the box below

This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.  

CHILLI BROCCOLI & TOFU: Vegan, with carnivore option; low fat, Easy

A dish to celebrate in all seasons: colourful, crispy, highly spiced and savoury Chilli Broccoli & Tofu (chicken option)...

updated Jan 25;original 2016

This crisp tasty Healthy Chinese dish is one that's suitable for vegans.
'Lively fresh clean plate with explosions of spicy flavours. Lovely!'  - Tester 

This dish was adapted from a recipe the blogger developed for a high-end accountancy firm bored with the usual salads.  Served cold, Chilli Broccoli was a popular choice at lunchtime and perfect for perking up the brain cells before returning to work.

67 tested this dish on a (middle-aged) boss who loves chillis but had never eaten tofu.  He tried the warm version and liked it - a lot - and is ready to try tofu again.

There are two stages involved in the prep but it's fundamentally a quick and easy dish.  Serve it hot with rice as a main course, or at room temperature as a salad. 

67 used tenderstem broccoli because it was a busy week and tenderstem needs little prep but other quick cooking veg like green beans or mange tout will also be fine. 

67 usually prefers firm tofu but be warned. In recent times, the preservatives in firm tofu (the kind that comes in pads, in water from Chinatown AND in waxed packets) seem to have changed.  Many tofu fans  - including the Blogger - now find firm tofu can produce unpleasant bloating and gas. For some, silken tofu is easier to digest  but in this recipe it will sadly fall apart when cooked. 

If you'd rather not  chance the tofu, replace with chicken breast or thigh.

Cost: £4.00'ish (Jan 25)
Serves: 4 as a main; more as a side 

Ingred:
   about 200gm/7oz tenderstem broccoli, bottoms trimmed and large stalks cut in two
    up to a dozen cherry tomatoes 
    80gms French beans, ends trimmed (opt)
   1 red chilli, de-seeded & without membranes, in long fine slices (allowing people who like the flavour but not the heat to avoid the chilli) 
     

     280 g/9oz firm tofu, cut in 4x4cm blocks (approximate is fine) and then half inch/1 cm slices (see photo)
     

     1.5 tbsp 25-30% (preferably reduced) salt soy sauce
     2 tbsp sherry/Shaoxing rice wine/white wine/grape juice
     1 tsp grated garlic OR 1/2tsp dried (opt)
     1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger OR 1/2 tsp dried
     2 tbsp stock or water

     sesame oil (opt)

     groundnut (peanut) or light veg oil    
     
     garnish: sesame seeds (opt)

Method:

LOW-SUGAR SWEET CHILLI DIPPING SAUCE: No-Preservatives, Easy-peasy

Oh.  My.  God. This is A-ma-zing!!!

Home-made Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce, low-sugar
'Absolutely Utterly Fantastic!' - Tester

Fresh chillis have terrific health benefits.  Capsaicin is what makes a chilli a chilli and gives it its intense heat and flavour. 

Capsaicin has also been shown to lower blood sugar and improve heart heath by boosting circulation and protecting against strokes. Chillis are rich in Vitamin C  and Vitamin B-complex, vital for good health.  

The popularity of mass-produced Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce, however,  has more to do with its sweetness than its heat, flavour or health benefits.

To get the real benefit of chillis, you need to cook with it - in stews, casseroles, curries and soups. 

And how about a home-made, easy-peasy Sweet Chilli Dipping sauce -- low in sugar and without any nasties?  

This recipe was adapted from Waitrose magazine, a monthly publication, which often provides inspriring recipes.  (The Creamy Mushroom Risotto with dairy-and-gluten free option, was originally published by Waitrose).    

It's a winner many times over. Prepare to be astonished and thrilled by its taste, the scent of it and the wonderful colours.

Cost: £0.75
Makes: 75 ml but recipe is easily multiplied

Ingred:
   1 clove garlic, minced
   1 red chilli, de-seeded & without membranes, finely chopped
   35-50 gm white sugar, to taste (67 used 35 gms)
   3 tbsp white wine vinegar

Method:

1. Put everything in a small pan with 100 ml water or stock
2. Bring to the boil; reduce heat; simmer 5 mins -- the chilli will soften and the sauce be reduced by half
3. Take off heat
4. If you like, drain to remove chillis, or pour as is into a small dish & cool.  Serve with a small spoon.
5. The sauce will keep in the fridge for 5 days

Tip:

It's versatile sauce; add more chilli for more heat or, for a stickier sauce, simmer until the volume is reduced 

Comments:
'I had this on a smoked mackerel salad and it was so enjoyable. Gorgeous!'   Political Agent

Please leave a comment in the box below

          .

This recipe has been adapted  by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.