Baking isn’t really my forte. Although it was covered in culinary school, I enjoyed and preferred the Culinary Arts track over the Baking and Pastry track much more. So our dessert focus this month will not reflect my culinary skills so much as great recipes we’ve found or developed based on their ease to make.
This week’s recipe definitely falls into the easy-to-make category. Because of a mild sensitivity to gluten that The Well-Fed Son and I have, we choose to use Gluten-Free products at times to reduce the overall amount of gluten we are eating in our diet.Â
We were excited to discover that Betty Crocker makes a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie mix. Since chocolate can also be problematic for The Well-Fed Son, I decided one day to try sifting out the chocolate chips and replacing them with carob powder and adding in some pecans along with it. They are a little grainy in texture, but still tasty, and The Well-Fed Son and The Lucky Wife liked the result. So they’re a regular for us.
And just like every child, once The Well-Fed Son was introduced to sweets, which we delayed intentionally for a while after starting him on table food, he loves to have them whenever they’re available. So having some recipes that are quick and easy and that provide a simple way for him to satisfy his sweet tooth is important to us.
Even better is having some dessert options that also include some ingredients that have some nutritional value. You may want to read Carob: Chocolate’s Fraternal Twin and a Healthier Alternative, by the Lucky Wife, for more about the health benefits you can get from carob. Check out Health Benefits of Pecans by the National Pecan Shellers Association for a list of how good eating pecans can be for your health, including some information about research suggesting that they may help with losing weight and maintaining that loss. Did you know that April is National Pecan Month? We had no idea! So if you want a great recipe to help you celebrate…
- 1 box Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix (we used Betty Crocker)
- 2 tablespoons carob powder
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon water
- Open container of cookie mix and place mixture in sifter. Over large mixing bowl, sift out chocolate chips and discard. Retain flour mixture in bowl.
- Add carob powder and pecan chips.
- Prepare cookie dough as directed on box. Dough will be crumbly.
- Add one tablespoon water to compensate for extra dry ingredients.
- Place cookie dough on sheet as directed and bake as directed per instructions on box.
Yield: Approximately 1 dozen cookies
For more carob recipes, click here.
About the Author
Raised in eastern North Carolina, The Chef has always most loved southern cuisine. While working for a top resort just after finishing Culinary School at Johnson and Wales University, when they still had a campus located in Charleston, South Carolina, he began learning about Gullah cuisine and enjoys it as well. He's a family man and country boy at heart, loves hunting and is a big fan of the John Boy and Billy Big Show and the Carolina Panthers.
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