[philana]

Hello 3FC Cooks!

I'm not big on baking yet - but have decided to try something daring! I can't stop thinking about my favorite cookies - but I know just one cookie is 65cal, and I can't ever enjoy just one! So, for my birthday I want to bake them with "good" ingredients as much as possible!

What is suppose to go in them:
- cacao powder (assuming this is just fine!)
- eggwhites (also no problem)
- powder sugar (alarm bells! - found a splenda+maizena alternative, but that seems just as bad, atleast calorie-wise?)
- butter (I'm sure if I look hard I can find a good substitute)
- instant espresso coffee powder (no problem I think?)

So, any suggestions for the butter and de powder sugar are more than welcome! Oh, and please name products and not brands as I live in The Netherlands and we don't have the same stuff in stores!

[Esofia]

There are syrups which are a bit lower in calories, agave and such, but they will make it more moist so you need to know how to use them.

Butter - maybe look into fat substitutes? Puréed prunes, for instance, might be an option, and prunes are divine with chocolate. It may allow you to cut down on the fat at least. Have a google, there's some useful info online on the chemistry of it all.

Find other people whom you can feed the cookies to, so that you don't end up eating too many? I've been known to make a batch of gluten-free vegan chocolate prune cake and freeze it in individual small portions, but then it reheats beautifully in the microwave (I'm no longer gluten-free, but for this recipe it works better, especially with the reheating), and you don't want to be microwaving cookies.

[98DaysOfSummer]

So those look like crispy cookies with cream in the middle and chocolate on the ends? Are they almond flavored, because I think my husband likes these.

Could you do a different cookie with a similar taste and crunch? Like a crispy baked meringue cookie with almond flavoring, dipped in a bit of dark chocolate?

[tdiprincess]

You may be able to cut the butter a little bit...
IMPO... I would make them the way I enjoy them and just make it a rare treat. I'd also give the majority of the batch to family and friends so that they're not sitting in my house to be eaten..
..but do what you must do for yourself. I hope you find some options. The texture looks a little challenging to play with..

[lisa4621]

I found this recipe for lower calorie cookies, sounds similar to what you are trying to make?

LOW CALORIE COCOA COOKIES

1/3 c. sunflower oil butter
1/3 c. lowfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour, sifted
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Cream butter, yogurt, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Blend into butter mixture. Shape dough into ball and wrap in wax paper. Chill at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Cut. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Brush with egg white. Bake 15 minutes. Makes 4-5 dozen. 35 calories per cookie.