Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies – At last!

As I write this, my daughter is sitting on me eating one of these AMAZING cookies. Yes, I can type with her plopped on me and thank goodness for PVR and the Wiggles! We can discuss the TV watching issues later. I often take recipes from Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook Deceptively Delicious and change the recipe to reflect the nutritionist in me! I didn’t think that Jessica’s recipe was all that healthy with ¾ cups of butter, 1 cup sugar and 2 cups chocolate chips. I did LOVE the idea of using chickpeas and believe it or not you can NOT taste them at all.

My husband, who is my normal person taste tester said “WOW, Lor, it actually tastes like a real chocolate chip cookie – Good job!” I took that as a huge complement, because the last time I made chocolate chip cookies (with protein powder instead of flour) that definitely was NOT his response. It went more like this if you can picture it “Uch, (spit cookie into garbage) turns to me and says what the F@!@ was that?!?!”

I tried these cookies a couple weeks ago because I just felt like a chocolate chip cookie. Everyone needs a chocolate chip cookie every now and again. I am not opposed to cookies if you make them yourself, use nutritious ingredients and have 1 or 2 at a time – not the whole recipe!

Without further ado…

Here is my version of Jessica Seinfeld’s Chocolate Chip Chickpeas Cookies

Makes 24-36 cookies depending on size

Ingredients:

¾ cup Sucanut

¼ cup butter + ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 egg

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

14oz can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and pureed in a mixer

½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips (large ones so you need less)

2 cups white spelt flour

½ cup old fashioned oats (I had to add more oats because the mixture was too loose)

½ cup whole flaxseeds

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. In a food processor puree chickpeas until smooth and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sucanut and butter applesauce mixture with a wooden spoon or on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then the chickpeas and chocolate chips. Add the flour, oats, flaxseeds, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 1 inch apart. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 11-13 minutes, do not overbake. Leave on cookie sheet to cool and then transfer onto wire rack until completely cool. Do try one in the process of cooling as the gooey chocolate is wonderful in the cookie. Store in airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze.