Double-Chocolate Hemp Cookies

One of my favorite recipes for Double Chocolate Chip Cookies is by Kathleen King of Tate's Bake Shop.  Originally I found the recipe by watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa with Ina Garten several years ago.  This has been my go-to cookie recipe ever since, I even purchased the Tate's Bake Shop cookbook and I love baking different recipes from the book.

Here is the LINK for the recipe.  Usually I follow it word-for-word and having a stand-mixer makes it so easy to mix.  The other day I decided to modify the recipe to include some healthier ingredients and see if I could incorporate hemp seed.  Substituting the butter for unsweetened applesauce reduces the richness of the butter and keeps the cookies moist.  The hemp seed gave the cookies a chewy texture, but I did not add very much the first time I tried this substitution.

On the left are the ingredients from the original recipe and on the right are my substitutions - I suggest printing  the recipe and writing in the substitutions or making a notation on the side.

Substitutions:
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) salted butter  - -  1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade)
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour - -  2 cups all purpose flour AND 1/3 cup hulled hemp seed

Extra cookies being wrapped before freezing

I also baked hemp brownies if you missed my previous blog recipe. Plus if you are unfamiliar with hemp seed there are plenty of great resources.  Here's a great article with other links on the health benefits of hemp seed.

Chocolate & Hemp Seed Healthy Brownies Recipe

We have finally experienced a break in the 100 plus degree heat wave, so it was time that I bake a few things in the oven while I can.  Besides a frittata, I made a version of brownies for the weekend.  I really wanted to include hulled hemp seed in a baked treat and decided that I might as well try it in brownies.  For me, I didn't even taste the hemp seed in the brownies and if you didn't know it was added you may not even know either.  The applesauce is a great substitute for butter or oil and can make your cookies or muffins lighter and fluffier.  These brownies turn out a little dense compared to cake-like brownies, almost but not quite fudge-y.  It is a larger batch, so you may have to cut ingredients in half if you prefer to try a smaller batch of these brownies

Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup hulled hemp seed
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
3 cups light or dark brown sugar
4 tsp vanilla extract
6 eggs
1 1/4 cup no-sugar added applesauce or homemade applesauce
1 or 2 cups of chopped walnuts (or other nuts of your choice)
1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (less if you prefer)

Instructions:
1.  In a bowl measure and add first 5 ingredients together.  Mix with a whisk.

2.  In a separate bowl add sugar, eggs, applesauce and vanilla.  Mix together.

3.  Add wet ingreidents to dry ingredients and stir together.

4.  Add nuts and chocolate chips if desired.  You may use any type of nuts or chocolate chips.  Or even add more nuts if you like nutty brownies add more nuts.

5.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.

6.  Place batter in a greased baking dish about 9 x 12 or larger.

7.  Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

8.  Cool and serve.  Enjoy!

Devil's Dark Chocolate Cake

I was ambitious this weekend and decided to tempt to make a 4 layer chocolate cake, but not any chocolate cake, a devil's food cake with dark chocolate.  If you do not want a 4 layer cake, half all ingredients (frosting too) and if you prefer a sweeter chocolate, substitute milk chocolate for the semi-sweet and 87% chocolate in the frosting.

Ingredients:
8 oz 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate (I like Ghirardelli)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted organic butter
1 cup sugar or packed brown sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup or agave
2 cups sifted cake flour or all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
4 large organic eggs
1 (or 1 1/2) tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole organic milk

Frosting:
8 oz Semi-sweet chocolate
8 oz 60% Cacao Bittersweet chocolate
optional 84%
2 cups organic sour cream

Instructions:
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter 4 cake pans and line with parchment paper.

2. In a double-boiler over barely simmering water, melt chocolate, butter, sugar, and corn syrup (agave).  Stir occasionally until smooth.  Remove from heat.

3. Sift flour, baking soda and cocoa powder.  Gently fold in melted chocolate mixture.

4.  Whisk egg, vanilla and milk.  Add to flour/chocolate mixture and mix until well blended.

5.  Divide evenly in 4 cake pans.  Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool.  When cool, turn out of pans.

6.  Make frosting.  In a double-boiler, melt all chocolate until smooth, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly.  Beat in sour cream.

7.  Spread some of the frosting on the first layer, and repeat for all layers.  Then spread the remaining frosting around the edges of the cake.  Let sit in a cool spot. Enjoy.