Simple Chewy Cookie
 

I was playing around this morning with the ingredients that I used in the crust of my coconut cream pie and came up with this simple chewy cookie.

Yeild 18 to 24 cookies approx 1 carb each.

1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup unblanched almond flour
1/4 cup polyd
1/4 cup cacao nibs (you could sub chopped nuts or chocolate chip)
1/4 t. sweetzfree (1 cup equivilent)
1 large egg
1/4 cup peanutbutter

Combine all ingredients and roll into 1 inch balls.
Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and smash with fork.
Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minute or golden brown.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...npa1/scc17.jpg

Kevin, I just went into your recipe link into your website. I never knew you had a website, and it is awesome!

Thank you so much for sharing your story and wonderful recipes.

I would like to add (a bit off-topic), that in the past few years lowcarbing has gotten so much bad press, in that you need carbs to create serotonin in the brain to help depression.

I admit that I've suffered from depression since I was a kid, and lowcarbing is the ONLY way of eating that gives me mental clarity and ALLEVIATES my depression. Whenever I cheat, my proof is there. It's just not worth it. And no doubt low carbing has saved me from diabetes too, me coming from an entire family of diabetics.

Thanks for a great website, and the new cookie recipe too! I love raw cocoa nibs, got mine at Whole foods Market. They are so high in fiber and low in carbs and taste great.

Keep up the great work! What a service this is to others.

Kevin,
You ROCK!!!!!! :kicking: YOu come up with the yummiest things.:clap: We're waiting for you to next have your own low carb cook book. Can we have your first autograph signing? Keep it up. I'm going to check out your web site too. Have anything yummy that I could make out of the coconut cream?:confused: Thanks, and keep your great ideas coming.:notwrthy: :notwrthy: :notwrthy:

These look great and sound great as well.
Thanks Kevin,
Bette

off to kitchen to make these now!!! Thanks Kevin

Kevin,

Do you find the cocao nibs bitter?

I don't think bitter is the right word Diane, at least not for me. It reminds me somewhat of a coffee bean and is a bit of an aquired taste but I think it is more the fact that they are unsweetened. I actually snack on them right out of the bag. When it is in baked goods they have a nutty chocolate taste.

Bottom line though is everybodies taste is different.

Thanks Kevin...They look yummy. What type nuts would compliment these cookies (since I don't have the nibs)?

Marla

If I were going to use nuts I would choose pecans but before I'd use nuts I think I would go with the chocolate chips since you already have PB and almond flour.

How do you think these would turn out if I omit the coconut ('cuz I don't like it) and replaced the polyd with inulin? Oh, and the sweetzfree with Stevia and the cacao nibs with SF chocolate chips? (Gotta work with what I have, I guess! LOL)

I think I'd call it a different cookie......:laugh:

let us know. I'd be curious how chewy it turns out.

Different, indeed. But your recipe is inspiring, nonetheless.

Do you think the omission of the coconut will cause the dough to be too moist/wet?

My guess is yes since you are omitting a cup of dry ingredient but I don't know by how much. The coconut is a key texture component.

Do you have a suggestion as to a replacement?

Sorry, I can't think of any subs for coconut.

Do you think adding a bit of Carbquik would work?

Sorry Sabal your guess would be just as good as mine. I don't like stevia and I am not real familiar with inulin and how it reacts in a recipe so this is not a cookie that I would make for myself. If you decide to make it with all the tweakes you have mentioned....please let us know how it turns out for you.

Thanks, Kevin. Sorry for all the questions. I'm not quite sure I want to try this... Although, I **AM** feeling a little brave; so we'll see. LOL

I'll post if I decide to try this. (I wish I liked coconut!)

Hey Kevin...
Sounds real good!
Can I make these on induction?
I'm allergic to all NUTS.
What can I use instead of almond flour?
Thanks.
Cathy

Ive never read atkins so I don't know the answer to your question. Maybe somebody could answer this for her.

Nope, not even close to legal for induction. If its not on the list of Dr. Atkin's approved foods for induction its not allowed.

Almond Flour .. Nope
Coconut .. Nope
Peanut Butter .. Nope
Cacao Nibs .. Nope

I have a thought. It might sound wierd, but it would have close to the same texture if you make sure it's pretty dry. Cooked spaghetti squash and chop it up like coconut. You could pat it dry with paper towels first.

Nigel, your suggestion gave me an idea. On America's Test Kitchen, they dried out canned pumpkin by spreading it out on a paper towel lined cookie sheet and blotting the top. Do you think dried canned pumpkin would work?

These look great! My dh loves your other chewy cookie--I've made them twice at his request. This looks like another keeper! Thanks!

I'm running to the kitchen to make these immediately. My printer is out of ink, so I jotted down the recipe (gasp) by hand! :laugh:
Kevin, you're a star. Thank you! :heart:

I've never met anyone else who has a form of depression that is treated by carb/food restriction. I just wanted to say I completely relate to your story - I too have had depression since I was young... and as soon as I go back to normal high carb eating for a couple of days, I am back to severe scary depression, suicidal thoughts, tearfulness etc.


Carb depression is very "special" in how it manifests.
It's a feeling of being able to see everything, but all of it meaningless. Like, you can see *literally see* time and past and future and present are all this undifferentiated and long... it's as if life is waiting on line at a government building or something. Or, as if standing at the edge of a cliff. You can see out over, you can see the bottom. Why not jump. Why not end this wait, this excruciating numbness. You feel somehow BLOCKED. You *chemically* cannot process emotions. It's just, like, meaningless... there is no *point*.
And you feel SO lethargic and tired... it's not just an emotional numbness, but one that actually slows down physical motor reflexes and impulse.

My theory is that there are many substypes of depression, and not all are related to low serotonin. SOme are more related to low noradrenaline (possibly secondary to metabolic defects in how sugar is metabolized). Carbs, because they are serotonergic, may adversely affect the amount NE kicking around... which WOULD cause the kinds of symptoms I feel.

More evidence is that when I am under the influence of by anti-depressants (e.g. sleep deprivation, restriction, exercise) then *sometimes* eating more food/carbs can enhance the experience in much the way experts say it's supposed to (e.g. the food will make me feel peaceful, "at one", pleasantly groggy, pleasurable feelings are enhanced like the tactile sensation of touch or blankets on skin).

My theory is that these anti-depressant factors mitigate the organic chemical imbalance, therefore, eating carbohydrate does not exhibit the depressive effect it normally would (and, in fact, it enhances the mood by contributing more serotonin and sedation, like an analgesic gas, it helps relax and actually enhances/refines the capacity for feeling into pure pleasure).

But if I am not under the effect of antidepressants, carbohydrate only *exacerbates* the chemical imbalance and depression (possibly by altering the levels of serotonin VS catecolamines (NE/dopamine and metabolites) which robs my ability to *feel* or *have any motivation* or *see point to living*)

I also think that my chemical imbalance is secondary to the primary defect in sugar metabolism (because, the catecolamines seem intimately related to catabolism and stress response, which are metabolically suppressed by sugar metabolism defect and hyperinsulinemia... it's possible my depression is just another symptom of failing to process sugar correctly).




Um. Anyway! Yea just wanted to say WOW I've not met another person who had depression which is controlled by low carb. It's usually the reverse situation on dieting forums. One reason I find it so easy to do this is because eating carbs for any lenght of time makes me want to die haaaa. Usually a lot of the time it's the reverse situation (people, with severe compulsive eating problems, eat to elevate mood and relax )...

Kevin I made these cookies today. Only thing I did different, I used butter instead of peanut butter. They are delicious! And very easy. Thanks so much for this recipe. Joan

I took your tweak one step further Joan. After subbing the butter for the peanut butter I added 1 Tablespoon of Dutch Proccessed Cocoa. :cool: :up:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...pa1/cscc22.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...pa1/cscc23.jpg

My tweaks were pretty good. I replaced the coconut with 1/4 cup Carbquik, the polyd with inulin, the sweetzfree with Stevia and the cacao nibs with SF chocolate chips. Yeah, I know - it's a totally different cookie :laugh: , but it still turned out pretty good. (I ate four! This is my first time trying inulin... Should I be worried?? :dunno: )

Looks good Kevin. I know what my next cookie will be! These are such keepers! Thanks again... Joan