Bake With Me: Healthier Brownies and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello lovelies :)

I haven't been able to write as much recently but I had a couple of major events in my life - I graduated from NUS Pharmacy (YAY), went on a 47 days graduation trip (41 days in Europe which included a road trip with my mum in Scandinavia, solo trip to Netherlands and Paris, travelled with my younger sister in Brussels and UK, and a solo trip to Seoul where I met my close friends again), started pre-reg training, and completed my first and external rotation to BBK Polyclinic. I guess I'll write more about these in another post.

My mum recently bought an oven (YAY, thanks mum) so my sisters and I scoured the internet and found these recipes. We tried them out and they were amazing; many people whom we passed some of the cookies and brownies too loved them so I decided to post this recipe up. Disclaimer: I did not create these recipes and from here onwards everything belongs to Chelsea's Messy Apron with the exception of the ones in italics as they are the modifications that I made.

BROWNIES

Servings: 1 8x8 pan

Ingredients 

Brownies: 

• 1 and 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips separated, I use 53% cacao (I used Hershey's semi-sweet Chocolate Chips)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut oil LouAna brand recommended (I used organic extra-virgin olive oil)
• 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt* 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 1/2 vanilla bean)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar brown sugar can be substituted (I used dark brown sugar)
• 3/4 cup oat flour just blend regular oats in your blender 

Optional Frosting: (I did not make this)

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk or whatever milk you have on hand 
• 2 tablespoons vanilla Greek yogurt 
• 3/4- 1 & 1/4 cups powdered sugar 

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. 
2. Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil or parchment paper and then spray with nonstick spray (I use a coconut oil based spray that I love.) 
3. In a bowl place 1 cup of chocolate chips or chopped and measured dark chocolate. 
4. Microwave the coconut oil and measure the coconut oil in its melted, hot state. 
5. Pour the hot melted coconut oil over the dark chocolate and stir the chocolate until it is completely melted. For best results I suggest using LouAna coconut oil as I've found other coconut oils vary in their baked taste and sometimes result in a bitter-tasting baked good. 
6. Add in the Greek yogurt. Make sure the Greek yogurt is quite thick (check the notes) and not watery. If needed drab it with a paper towel after stirring and measuring it. 
7. Stir in the vanilla, salt, baking soda, and coconut sugar. 
8. In a blender or food processor put in quick oats or old fashioned oats. Blend or process until the oats resemble flour. Measure the oat flour after blending and not before. 
9. Stir oat flour into the mixture. 
10. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. 
11. Spread the mixture (it is very thick) into the prepared 8 x 8 pan. 
12. Bake in the preheated oven for 28-32 minutes or until a fork comes out clean when inserted. Do not over-bake. Slightly under-baking is better and will yield a better taste and texture. (More fudge-like) 
13. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. 

Optional frosting (I did not make this)

1. In a microwave safe bowl combine the chocolate chips and milk.
2.  Microwave in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring for 15 seconds in between each burst until the chocolate is completely melted. 
3. Stir in the Greek yogurt and then whisk in the powdered sugar. 
4. Start with 3/4 a cup and add as needed. Note that the frosting thickens up a lot after being refrigerated. 
5. Refrigerate the frosting (covered in an airtight container) for at least 30 minutes. 
6. Cover the brownies with the frosting. 
7. Remove the brownies using the overhang of the parchment paper or foil. 
8. Cut into pieces and enjoy. 

Storing Notes:

1. These are great warm but they are OUT OF THE WORLD good after being refrigerated overnight or for 6-8 hours (and eaten cold.) I never thought I would say a brownie is good cold but it tastes like brownie fudge after being chilled all night! 🙂 So when I make these now, I automatically just chill them overnight because that's the way we like them the best. 
2. However, they are also super good warmed up in the microwave for a few seconds before enjoying! Just be careful warming these as the frosting melts.
3.  Store brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Frosting doesn't freeze well, but the brownies do freeze well by being individually wrapped. 

Recipe Notes

I've tried this recipe with several different types of yogurt. The best success I've had with lower fat yogurts is with a light Greek yogurt that is 130 calories a serving. Do not use a yogurt with less calories than that as it becomes too watery. I recommend a vanilla flavoured yogurt as I believe it adds a lot more flavor than a plain yogurt.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Servings: 18 cookies

Ingredients 

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used a vanilla bean)
• 1 large egg 
• 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar lightly packed 
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (I used organic extra-virgin olive oil)
• 1 and 1/2 cups oat flour regular oats blended in a blender 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• Pinch of salt (I used Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Hershey's semi-sweet Chocolate Chips)
• Optional: coarse sea salt (I used Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)

Instructions

1. Take regular old fashioned oats or quick oats and blend them until they resemble a flour or powder in a blender or food processor. 
2. Combine the vanilla extract, large egg, and brown sugar in a bowl. 
3. Melt the coconut oil and let it cool slightly before adding to the bowl. 
4. Beat everything together until just combined. 
5. Stir in the oat flour (measured after blending NOT before), baking soda, cinnamon (scale this amount to taste preferences), and salt. 
6. Stir until just combined and then fold in the dark chocolate chips. 
7. Chill the dough for at least one hour. 
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. 
9. Using a cookie scoop (and pack these in the scoop very tightly or they may crumble), scoop out balls of the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. 
10. Press a few more chocolate chips in the tops if desired. 
11. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. 
12. Remove and allow to stay on the baking sheet for another 2 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack. 
13. Enjoy! 

Quick Tips: 

1. Any substitutions NOT recommended. Although some "tried and true" substitutions may work in other recipes, I do not guarantee they work in this recipe. Especially substituting out the coconut oil (it is needed for stability in this recipe) 
2. Scoop out the dough with a cookie scoop to avoid the coconut oil coming back to room temperature after the chilling. Don't have a cookie scoop? Use your hands, but then re-chill the dough for 15-30 minutes after the balls are rolled. 
3. Pack in the cookies TIGHT in the cookie scoop (or your hands) to avoid crumbly cookies. 
4. It is recommended you check your baking soda and make sure it is not expired. Old baking soda will cause an off taste in these cookies and may make them very flat. 
5. Measure the ingredients exactly. As with most baked goods, loosely measuring may result in cookies that do not work out. 
6. If your cookies are turning out a little dryer than you would like, check the following things: are you packing in the oat flour too tightly? Don't pack in the oat flour and perhaps try spooning and leveling the flour into the cup measurers. 
7. Are you measuring the coconut oil when solid? Make sure to measure it in a liquid form. 
8. What kind of egg are you using? The recipe calls for a large egg, not medium. I use and highly recommend organic eggs. They are always a little larger than "regular" large eggs and have a yellower yolk which tends to add more flavor and moistness to these cookies. 
9. Allow the cookies to cool completely or they tend to be crumbly. They are DELICIOUS right out of the oven, but a bit crumbly until they have cooled all the way.

Here's the results of what we made! :)

Take care until next time :)