Monday, November 15, 2010

RX - Carbs



My husband is big on preparedness. We have first aid kits in our cars, in the bathroom, and in the garden shed (in case the earthquake flattens the house and we can't get to the other ones; although if the house is flattened, I don't think a first aid kit with aspirin, bandaids, and ace wraps is going to cut it).

Also in the shed we have a stockpile of two liter jugs filled with water. We don't have a two-year supply of food, but we do keep the pantry stocked. And any room in our house has a supply of candles and matches or flashlights. Or both.

This past weekend we had an emergency. My husband took a misstep on the stairs and ended up at the emergency room with a nasty bad sprained ankle. It was very stressful to watch my husband in so much pain and to have to drive him to the emergency room. Thank heavens that I, too, believe in preparedness.

The best non-prescription way to soothe jangled nerves is with carbs. Carbs and chocolate. So it was a good thing that my cookie jar was stocked. I'd just made a new kind of chocolate chip cookie - kind of a hybrid between a molasses cookie and a chocolate chip cookie. Soft and chewy, chocolatey, it's the just what the doctor ordered for my jittery nerves and upset tummy. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself and see if you don't feel better.

Soft Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
- adapted from King Arthur Flour

6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3 Tbsp molasses
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp espresso powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


1- Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F and position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, molasses, vanilla, espresso powder, and salt till smooth. Beat in the vinegar, egg, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir in the flour, then the chocolate chips, mixing JUST till combined.

3- Drop the dough, by tablespoonfuls, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes, until they're just set on top and beginning to brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven and allow them to sit for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies


(Disclaimer: I am not a qualified medical practitioner. The advice here is offered purely for humorous and gastronomic enjoyment. Please do not take this advice without first consulting your doctor, nutritionist, or your own common sense.)

15 comments:

Jennifer Jo said...

Ouch! I hope he feels better soon.

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary said...

Poor hubby. Hope he's better soon! The cookies sound great. One of my favorite cookies is a soft molasses cookie. I can only imagine how good these are!

Mindy said...

You're killing me with all these delicious recipes! UGH! I'm trying so hard to resist, but you're making it SO hard. Was just reading through past recipes....

Hope the healing cookie works on hubby!

Zoe said...

Good that there are cookies available for comfort. I hope your husband will be ok :D

Natalia said...

I wanted to mention here that I replied to your question about "Golden Peabutter" in the comments after your post on Simple Bites: http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-make-nut-butters-recipe-cinnamon-walnut-butter It's about halfway down the page.

All the best in your carb therapy!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I think we can have these guilt free Lynn since they are made with whole wheat flour. Good thing you were prepared:D

ToyLady said...

Oh dear. I hope he feels better soon - my husband did the same thing a few years back, though his misstep was on the cat on the stairs.

The cat was fine.

Marysol said...

Lynn, I hope your beloved's ankle is improving. And I hope those wonderful cookies are helping.

Soft, chewy cookies have certainly helped me during difficult times—and I've had many this year.
Both, difficult times and cookies.

CaSaundraLeigh said...

Hopefully these cookies helped ease the pain for your poor hubby!! They sure would get my mind off of painful things--they look delish!

Anonymous said...

I love the use of whole wheat flour instead of AP. Makes things a lot healthier. Hope you husband gets better soon. Sprained ankles are annoying.

Anh said...

hope your hubby gets better soon!

And these cookies sound lovely!!

Aimee @ Simple Bites said...

Best. Disclaimer. Ever.

On the other hand, please pass along my get well wishes to B. How unfortunate!

Elpi said...

ooh God! I hope he's okay now..Just be careful next time sir:) Love the cookies. I think it's quick, yummy recipe. Plan b
happy healh pad

grace said...

doh! sorry to hear about the tumble. as someone who's had more sprained ankles than she can count, i feel his pain. chocolate and carbs will ease the discomfort and anxiety every time. :)

Amy Greeman said...

Hi, Lynn,
I'm the Director of Publicity at Storey Publishing and wanted to pass along a beautiful cake cookbook we've just published, to get your reaction. We are also happy to offer a copy or two for a giveaway. It's called A World of Cake by Krystina Castella and it includes over 150 recipes for cakes from traditions and cultures from around the world. Would you be able to give me a snailmail address so I can send a copy to you? Thanks!
Amy