***I wrote this post on January 30-before the “high-profile” science journal, Nature, released findings of a new study from the medical school at the University of California which says that the :
“sugars found in processed foods and drinks are to blame for increasing number of cases of chronic disease and premature death.”
If those darn scientists had just stopped talking after they made their case that sugar is a toxin. If they had shut their pie-hole after pointing out that sugar is added to “nearly all processed foods” and that in the past 50 years sugar consumption has tripled worldwide! (holy cannoli!)
If they had stopped there, we all could focus on those things…those alarming facts. And maybe we could as parents and grandparents consider other options for our children. Better options that wouldn’t comprise their health over time.
But those scientist scooted from science to politics, suggesting that sugar be regulated by Uncle Sam. And so my sweet friends every time you hear the truth about the overuse and the very real health risks of sugar, you’re going to get side-tracked with irritation at the thought of big government waltzing in to regulate one more thing.
As for me, I’m not listening to the suggestion about government regulation. I’m paying attention to the scientific facts of the study.
If you’re trying to eat less refined sugar I have a sweet little recipes for you!
*****
Flourless-Sugarless Chocolate Walnut Cookies~Gluten Free Naturally
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
1 3/4- cup toasted then chopped walnuts
1 1/2- cups Palm Sugar Powdered Sugar (or regular Powdered Sugar)
***see recipe for Palm – Sugar Powdered Sugar at the end***
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 large egg whites
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
(Toast walnut halves before you chop them at 350* for 7-8 minutes)
Chop toasted walnuts
Mix (on low) the confectioners sugar with the cocoa powder – add the chopped walnuts. Up the speed to medium, and add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened (do not overbeat).
Spoon onto parchment covered cookie sheets sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake at 320* for 14-15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before moving cookies to wire rack.
Palm Sugar Powdered Sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon potato starch
(You can replace potato starch with corn starch)
Grind sugar and potato starch together in a blender or electric coffee grinder or a spice grinder until powdery.
Powdered sugar keeps in an airtight container at room temperature 1 month.
*****
Here’s the thing…I ate 2 of these cookies and I was satisfied. When I eat 2 of my normal refined sugar-filled cookies, I NEVER stop with just two!
So will I eat these every day? Absolutely not! But I’m hoping baking a few things with palm sugar will help me come off of refined sugar, so these will be good a couple times a week.
(I also tried Palm Sugar and Carob Chips as replacements in my Flourless Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Cookie recipe & I loved these too!)
(The next sweetener I’m going to try is the herb Stevia! Stay tuned!)
~Have a mildly sweet day my friends~
Joyce @ Quilted Nest says
February 3, 2012 at 8:48 amVery interesting and timely as I’m already gluten free and have tried no sugar this week (I broke down and had a popsicle last night). I’m hoping to help a skin condition that I have – and thought it was worth a try. Thanks for the link to the SS & GF site – that will be helpful.
Candy says
February 3, 2012 at 9:35 amAh, we would dine together so well! The “old regular” sugar in my pantry has an expiration date of 2008 and has barely been used. However, as processed as it is, I’m sure it’s still in its original state. These cookies look divine, because anything good is better with nuts!
Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free says
February 3, 2012 at 11:03 amHi Robin,
What a delicious cookie recipe! I hope you like using stevia just as much as the coconut palm sugar. It’s a different monster all together but it has no glycemic impact. I love using it to reduce the overall added sugars in a recipe.
Thanks for sharing my book & blog with your readers!!
Hugs,
Amy
Gina says
February 3, 2012 at 11:12 amGood grief…it seems like so much work. =/ I know I should change my eating habits but it is so daunting and my husband is the pickiest person on earth so I would be cooking two kinds of everything. =P I do believe the research though. I’ll “pin” all the healthy recipes for one day when I make a change. 😉
Tammy says
February 3, 2012 at 2:10 pmI am going to try these. We are all eating healthier around here these days. Although I need to get Ben to eat more. He is 6′ 5 and weighs 140. But the boy doesn’t like sweets. He can’t really be our child! Sent you an email with a quick question…when you have time. Have a sweet (sugar free) day.
Jenn says
February 3, 2012 at 3:22 pmI missed all the brouhaha with this study, but have been intrigued with coconut palm sugar. Does it taste at all coconutty? Where in the world did you find it?
Good for you for making small steps and for allowing grace to apply to you. Seems sometimes a chocolate chip cookie is all that will suffice!
Tom says
February 3, 2012 at 3:45 pmThanks for educating those of us that life hasn’t gotten our attention about this yet…thanks even more for the way you tell your stories as I caught myself laughting out loud a couple of times…Blessings!
Julie Garmon says
February 3, 2012 at 7:43 pmThis was so much fun to read I almost forget it’s about the whole sugar thing. Very in-ter-es-ting, Robin.
I’m open-minded about palm sugar, although it would help if I had a few cookies and a glass of milk to help me fall in love with the idea!!
And you make even sugar-free cookies look delish. 🙂
CAS says
February 4, 2012 at 10:57 amI’ve been using Organic Blue Agave on things that I simply have to have sweet, like my steel-cut oatmeal & coffee. Other than that, I’ve banned breads & sugar from my diet for awhile, just to see how I feel.
CAS
Jeannine says
February 6, 2012 at 12:12 amRobin, have I told you that I am (gasp!) also chocolate free! Ugh. Sad but true.
I just want to share, however, that when I was first diagnosed with gluten intolerance, I could not tolerate lactose, but now that I’ve been gluten-free for several years, I can tolerate a little lactose. Do ask your doctor, who may inform you that as you heal, you may be better able to digest lactose.
In any event, thank you for the sugar substitute suggestion.
Cynthia says
February 21, 2012 at 1:26 amThis looks so delicious & so healthy. The instructions are straightforward. I will get some good walnut from the farmer’s market this weekend and give it a try – thank you for the recipe.
Mary @ Fit and Fed says
May 7, 2012 at 1:30 pmFlourless- once I really looked at the recipe I realized that it was a lot healthier than I would have expected. Though it isn’t sugarless. Love the palm sugar/cocoa combination– I’ve been combining those myself. One way to cut sugar and refined flour (most of the GF flours excepting almond meal are pretty refined) is just to not bake. I rarely do, unless you count fruit crisps and crumbles. But this recipe passes muster– I’ll save it to my recipes to try on Pinterest.