Bran Flakes Cookies
Okay, I’m a little bit late to the Baking Partners challenge this month. It was supposed to be posted on Saturday. Woops.
I got caught up doing really important things this weekend like drinking enough wine to get me dancing to a live Bon Jovi cover band, sipping Starbucks as I waited in Canadian Tire for some terrible news about the state of my car’s suspension system, and (sort of, but not really) watching football. You know, important stuff.
Anyway, this month’s theme was cookies. There were three cookie recipes to choose from, or you could make all three. Given that I’m trying to whittle my middle I opted to only make one type, and I opted to try to healthify it.
The recipe in question is for Cornflake Cookies, supposedly (based on my comrades results) it is a crunchy cookie filled with coconut and raisins and crusted with crushed cornflakes. I made a few swaps to the recipe and I got an entirely different result. I think.
Substitution 1: Coconut
First off, the recipe calls for dessicated coconut. Earlier in the week I had cracked open a fresh coconut, shaved the insides into flakes with a vegetable peeler and toasted under the broiler. I figured it would be a shame to use store bought shredded coconut in these cookies, so I used these flakes instead.
Tip: Stick with shredded coconut, but toast it.
The toasted flavour was amazing in the cookies, but the large flakes didn’t really combine well into the dough. Next time around, I’ll used shredded coconut but I will toast it first to bring out the nutty flavour.
Substitution 2: Sugar
In sticking with the coconut theme, I decided to substitute coconut sugar for granulated. This was among my free swag from Swanson and I wanted to give it a try in baking.
I thought this made a decent sub for regular sugar. It had a nutty taste and though it didn’t cream together with the butter as well as white sugar does, it didn’t affect the texture of the cookie, which is something I worry about when I sub different sweeteners during baking.
Coconut Sugar
Butter Creamed with Coconut Sugar
Substitution 3: Raisins
This recipe only called for 2 tablespoons of raisins. I found this volume to be absurdly low so I amped it up a bit, to 1/4 cup. Still not enough. In the end I was lucky if I found a raisin in the cookie at all. I would definitely ramp up the raisin count next time.
Tip: Add 1/2 – 3/4 c raisins to the cookies. Even that will be a modest amount.
Substitution 4: Flour
Since I’m trying to steer clear of white carbs I swapped all purpose flour for whole wheat. This also ups the protein and fibre content of the dough which makes the cookies chewy since protein and fibre bind to water.
Tip: The fibre in whole wheat flour makes it absorb moisture more easily than all purpose flour, this could make the cookie dough a bit drier. If the dough is too dry to work with, try adding a tablespoon of milk.
Substitution 4: Cereal
While we’re talking fibre, I figured I’d up the fibre content even more by swapping out regular corn flakes for bran flakes. Now that’s a high fibre cookie.
Rolling the cookie dough in crushed bran flakes
Ready for the oven
Results
I baked the cookie for only 12 minutes instead of the 15-20 recommended and it yielded a very nutty flavoured cookie that was chewy but had a crunchy exterior from the bran flakes. In the end I really liked it.
The only changes I would make would be to add a lot more raisins and to use the shredded coconut called for in the recipe.
Bran Flakes Cookies
adapted from Baking: Common Sense by Murdoch Books
Ingredients
125 grams softened butter
3/4 c (165grams) sugar coconut sugar
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 t vanilla extract
2 T 1/2 c raisins
1-1/2 c (135grams) toasted shredded coconut
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
2 c (250grams) all purpose whole wheat flour
2 c crushed cornflakes bran flakes
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F, line two baking trays with baking paper.Sie ve the flour with baking soda and baking powder.
Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl,using electric beaters until they turns light and fluffy.
Gradually add the egg, beating thoroughly after each addition, add the vanilla and beat until combined.
Now add the raisins,coconut, give a stir. Fold the flour mixture with a metal spoon and stir until the mixture is almost smooth.
Put the crushed cornflakes in a shallow dish, then drop tablespoon of this cookie mixture onto the cornflakes and roll into balls.
Arrange on the trays, bake for 15-20minutes or until they turns golden.
Cool completely and arrange it in an air tightened box.
Check out some of the other Baking Partners post at the link up here.
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- Samantha Menzies is an opinionated young firecracker who just happens to enjoy distracting web surfers with chronicles of her mildly entertaining daily pursuits.
healthier but beautifully delicious!
I like the substitutions you made and I bet I would like this cookie too! I’m intrigued with the cereal crust!
Your cookies looks perfect and delicious, I too increased the cranberries in the recipe, I need to try coconut sugar. I too substituted cornflakes to post grain cereal.
Very nicely made. Nutritious and delicious cookies.
They looks absolutely fantastic!! Lovely clicks..
Beautiful pictures and an extraordinary recipe
I luv the addition of coconut sugar. Brilliant and healthy.
WOW i love all the substitutions you did. Many times when i do that too cookies they become dry or crumbly but i have to remember your trick. Saving this recipe.
I would definitely make these. Love the addition of coconut sugar, and I definitely agree that bran flakes were the way to go. I love having a bit more substance to what I’m baking, and cornflakes are just puffery. It’s a shame your coconut didn’t incorporate well — do you have a food processor? Maybe just pulsing it through a few times would get the flakes small enough.
Good call! I should try that. I might need to add a bit of flour when I process the coconut so that it doesn’t all clump together.
Yummy delicious n healthy cookies!!
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Loved the way you substituted the ingredients with healthier options. They turned out great. as you said the recipe needs few more tbsps of raisins. Lovely clicks!
Wow..loved the totally healthy version….They look delicious..and yup th cookies were soft inside not crispy…
I love the coconut theme! You did a great job of making them healthy! They look delicious!
Loved your modifications..great job. They look so healthy and yummy!!
Wow,yummy…I bet the substitution made the cookie flavorful and extremely delicious, Great Job!
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