A Cleaner Version of a Favorite…..

After a busy morning of running errands here I am. I started this recipe yesterday and wound up finishing it this morning, and the photographing it this afternoon. It isn’t that this recipe takes a long time to make things just kept coming up. I am sure that anyone reading this can relate. From start to finish these cookies probably took about an hour, and that includes the 30 minutes’ chill time that the dough requires to not turn into a mushy mess in the oven.

I’ve been planning this recipe in my head for over a week now and thought that it was time that I got it put together. They turned out so yummy, ok maybe a little to yummy. I made sure I put off trying them until after I took pictures, but then I will admit that I ate three of them! They are made of good ingredients, and sure beat out any boxed cookie ingredient wise, but be careful because they are addictive. Ok, you have been formally warned and it is totally up to you now to maintain some control when you make them. 😉

I took inspiration from a Twix candy bar. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had one, but I know that they are full of iffy ingredients and are 80 calories for a fun size bar. These cookies are 106 calories per cookie, BUT they don’t have a bunch of unnecessary preservatives. Don’t fear the calories. Often times when we eat REAL food the calorie count can be higher. We all need to enjoy a treat once in a while, and if we are going to do it why not do it right? All the flavor without all the yuck.

 

 

Now no booing for this not being “real” caramel. I used my date caramel recipe and it turned out great. You can eat a few cookies without feeling loads of regret for eating a bunch of empty calories. I did use all-purpose white flour, but you can absolutely use white wheat. These are fairly simple, and well worth making. They aren’t overly sweet, but they have a flaky, crumbly butter exterior with a sweet gooey center, and the drizzle of dark chocolate really set them off just right. Make sure you don’t keep them all to yourself unless you have the self-control of a saint. Be sure to share, and after you do you can sit back, relax, and enjoy!

 

“Twix” Shortbread Cookies

By Angie Gouchenour

8 servings

Ingredients

Cookie

¼ c butter – room temperature

2 Tablespoons Truvia zero calorie sweetener

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

½ cup flour

Caramel filling

3 Medjool dates + 2-3 teaspoons date water

1 teaspoon corn starch

Topping

½ square dark chocolate

Directions

In a small bowl cream together the butter, Truvia, and vanilla

Combine flour with butter mixture until a soft dough forms; wrap in wax paper and chill for 30 minutes

 

While the dough is chilling pit and boil the dates

Remove the dates from the water when they are softened and blend them in a blender with 2-3 teaspoons of date water until smooth

Dump the rest of the date water and return pureed dates to the pan and stir in the corn starch

Heat for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly until thick; refrigerate

 

Preheat oven to 350’f

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll 8 little dough balls and place them on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper

Place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes

Remove and indent the center (I used the back of a rounded Tablespoon) and fill with approximately ½ teaspoon of date caramel

Place back in the oven for 5 minutes; Remove and transfer cookies to a cooling rack

While the cookies are cooling melt the chocolate in the microwave stirring once (30-60 seconds)

If you don’t have a cake decorating kit, or a plastic baggie, take a piece of parchment paper and roll it into a cone, tape the side, and fill with chocolate. Carefully make stripes across the cookies

Place the cookies in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes until the chocolate is set

Enjoy!

106 calories per cookie