Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Today's Cooking Experiment

Being that I like chocolate chip cookies (and avoiding homework), but also trying to be somewhat health conscious, today I started a chocolate chip cookie cooking experiment. What I am planning on doing is gradually substituting ingredients with slightly healthier ingredients and see if the taste is acceptable. Today was step one of the experiment. For this step of the experiment, I substituted the butter/margarine and vanilla with Light Vanilla Yogurt. It was better than the applesauce variant I tried in the past. The cookies were fluffier (which I like), and the taste of the dough and cookie is a bit different, but not too much different. I did add a little extra flour, and I didn't have quite enough yogurt on hand, so I did you a little butter. The plan for the next time I make the cookies: no margarine/butter (all yogurt), and try using only egg whites. I figger than due to the consistency of the yogurt, egg whites may not actually be necessary. Ideas after that include substituting the white sugar with brown sugar, and white flour with whole wheat flour and oatmeal. Feel free to experiment along with me, or let me know of experiments you have tried in the past that have worked great (or not so great).

For example, my brother and I once put red food coloring in a recipe that had hamburger in it. Most of the rest of the family wouldn't try it for soe strange reason (I think they said the meat looked raw), so that meant more for the two of us. So, depending on how you look at it, that experiment was a success.

4 comments:

Lauren said...

If you use applesauce, you're supposed to only substitute half the amount of fat called for. If it's a cup of oil, you use 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup oil. Don't know if that will help you out or not. One of my favorite things to use instead of fat though is pumpkin. Ooh, I love pumpkin. Most things you can't even taste it in, but I'm sure you would in the cookies. You can use Evaporated Cane Juice for sugar. When you use the wheat flour, start it slowly so you don't overload your system. Soy milk for regular milk...and add some almonds (those are really good for women).

Good luck (and let me know what works!).

Heidi said...

Which brother? P, E, or J? That's really funny.

Heidi said...

hahahahahaha! I had to comment again because the word verification for this is "expoo." And it just made me giggle.

Marissa said...

About a year ago I was considering what could do to make cookies healthier. I bought some benefiber and added it to some dough. They didn't look as pretty when they came out of the oven but, other than that, I seemed to be the only one that noticed a difference in taste. I even had to pull some people aside and tell them that it may be in their benefit to stop consuming so many cookies. I think your options sound better over all. I'm excited to learn about how more of your experiments turn out.