These cocoa cookies have a soft texture, with just a hint of coffee. I baked them over two days so that we had fresh biscuits to enjoy over the weekend.
Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Cocoa Cookies ♥
For those of you who have followed my blog since 2009 you will know I use fructose in my recipes. This is in place of ordinary ‘table’ sugar as I am sucrose intolerant. My body does not digest sucrose properly and for years I had dietary issues because of this. Basically, my body used my muscle mass to aid my digestion. Which meant the more sugar I ate, the more weight I lost. It took me into my early thirties to stabilise my weight. And since then I have put on less than 5% of my body weight, due to menopause. Over the past 30 years, with reduced sucrose intake, I am able to tolerate it more now than when I was in my twenties. Without using too much jargon, fructose is basically a fruit sugar.
Today’s inspirational recipe from Lavender and Lime ♥ Cocoa Cookies ♥ #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Using this granular substitute is in no ways detriment to your health, and should not be confused with high fructose corn syrup. Like all ‘sugars’, they should be consumed in moderation. My recipes use a gram for gram substitute which means that you can use sugar with confidence when baking from my blog. In the past year or so, fructose has become extremely difficult to source in South Africa. I am now using xylitol which is a sugar alcohol. This contains zero fructose and has negligible effects on blood sugar and insulin. So, from today you will see a change in my recipe ingredients from fructose to xylitol. It is similar in granular texture to regular sugar, and takes as long to dissolve when warmed. This is taking a lot of getting used to, as fructose dissolved very quickly. Do you use a sucrose substitute, and if so, which one?
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients
- 210 g xylitol
- 180 mls canola oil
- 30 mls freshly brewed espresso, cooled
- 2 eggs
- 285 g flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 7.5 mls baking powder
- 3.75 mls fine salt
Method
- Place the xylitol, oil and espresso into a stand mixer bowl and beat to combine
- Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition
- Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and gently whisk to combine
- Add 2 tablespoons at a time to the stand mixer, beating on low, until all combined
- Place the bowl into the fridge for 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 200° Celsius
- Scoop out, using an ice cream scoop and place the dough onto a lined baking tray, with the cookies spaced apart
- Flatten with the palm of your hand until 1cm high
- Place into the oven and bake for 12 minutes
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack before enjoying
View the previous posts on August 5:
- 2020: July 2020 Showcasing In My Kitchen
- 2019: Vegetable Scones
- 2016: Win Tickets To Winelands Chocolate Festival 2016
- 2015: August 2015 Showcasing In My Kitchen
- 2013: Sourdough Scones
- 2012: Grape And Blueberry Flaugnarde
- 2011: Smokey Chicken
- 2010: Nero Risotto With Peas And Prawns
i know you’ve said it before about the fructose; just wondering is that an unusual thing? never heard of anyone being allergic. must be difficult at times when eating out etc.
I am not allergic, so eating out is not a problem. And even though it is not common, it is not unheard of 🙂
I haven’t made a chocolate biscuit in ages, yours look delicious Tandy. I’ll have to do some research into xylitol, I’ve never used it. You must think it’s ok to use though instead of sugar?
It is the only option for me right now, and it is OK for my blood glucose levels which I need to keep quite low 🙂
Hola Tandy, Do hope you are well. The cookies sound delicious. When the weather cools, I will try some. (It was 30 degrees in our living-room with two fans blasting yesterday…) phew! Take care and happy cooking. Cheers x
We have been watching the European temperatures and are amazed at how high they are getting! Stay cool 🙂
“used my muscle mass to aid my digestion.”- wow Tandy, you are so fortunate that someone helped you figure that out. It’s so hard sometimes to figure out health issues that are not the norm. Your cookies look delcious
It was pure luck that the pharmacist I was taken to figured it out in one go!
Nope, I’ve never used sugar subscriptions, but I’ve wanted to try fructose for a long time. Great cookies with a lovely cracking exterior!
Let me know if you can find fructose where you live!