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Ginger Cookie Recipe

January 4, 2011 Written by JP    [Font too small?]

New Year’s Day is a time when many people vow to make healthy changes in their diets. Reducing sugar intake frequently tops this to-do list. Beginning the process of dietary change with resolve goes a long way toward accomplishing this end. But for long term success, you’ll also need to plan ahead and pool together as many resources as possible. For instance, how are you going to react when you encounter your first, second or fiftieth craving for something sweet? Will you call upon your inner strength or join a support group to get you through? These are options that work well for some people. Another way to go is to opt for a similar type of treat that adheres to your new nutritional guidelines. In my experience, a combination of these and other strategies usually works best.

Cookies and milk go together like peanut butter and jelly or wine and cheese. It’s a great pairing provided that you’re able to enjoy both foods as part of your diet. Those who can’t consume milk may easily sidestep this dilemma by using the almond, rice or soy variety. Cookies present a whole different set of obstacles. If you’re diabetic or on a specialized diet, you may find that these baked delicacies are off limits because of multiple ingredients, including artificial colors and flavors, gluten, refined flour and, of course, sugar.

Thankfully, there’s no rule that says that you must make a cookie using any of the previously mentioned items. Do you know the primary reason why almost every commercially available cookie contains these ingredients? They’re addictive and they’re inexpensive. Most food manufacturers don’t care one lick about your well-being. They’re running a business which depends on producing products that are cheap and have an acceptable shelf life. From a business standpoint, this makes perfect sense. It’s just important that you know the rules of the game. On the other hand, when you make your own recipes at home, your primary goal can be to “manufacture a product” that promotes good health and tastes great.

Healthy Fellow Dunking Cookies
1 cup egg white protein powder *
1 cup hazelnut flour
1/3 – 1/2 cup Truvia (stevia)
1/2 cup organic butter
1 large, omega-3, organic egg
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
1 tsp organic cinnamon
1 tsp organic ginger
1 tsp NutraSalt or salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

* I used a sugar-free, vanilla flavored product by MRM called All Natural Egg White Protein.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 80. Protein: 4 grams. Fat: 6 grams. Fiber: 1 gram. “Net” Carbohydrates: 1 gram. Makes 25 cookies.

Pre-heat the oven to 325 ºF. Sift the dry ingredients, expect for the Truvia, in a large bowl. Mix well. In a separate container, blend thoroughly the egg, 1/4 cup of melted butter and Truvia. Add the liquid to the dry components and stir until it forms a dough-like consistency. Line a large baking sheet with natural parchment paper. Use a small scoop to divide the batter into uniformly sized pieces. Roll each scoop of dough into a ball shape in your hands. Place all of the dough balls on the lined baking sheet. Press them down into a cookie shape with a height of 1/4 “. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the cookies to remain in the warm oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the edges of the cookies. As you soon as you detect some browning, remove from the oven and slide onto a cooling tray.

Cinnamon Protects Against Liver Damage Under Experimental Conditions

Source: J. Nutr. March 2009 vol. 139 no. 3 482-487 (link)

A rather large body of preliminary research indicates that both cinnamon and ginger may protect liver health from various dietary and environmental insults. In numerous animal models, these culinary spices have been shown to promote insulin sensitivity and reduce hepatic and serum lipid levels. These are particularly important in today’s health care environment where non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is becoming more costly and prevalent. There’s even some evidence that indicates a potential in alleviating medication-induced liver injury and possibly even lowering the risk of liver cancer. (1,2,3,4,5,6)

I’ve used cinnamon in a number of the recipes on this site. But it’s important to point out that it can be consumed in excess. There are a great many proposed benefits to Cassia cinnamon including anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor and cardiovascular supportive effects. However, it’s also true that cinnamon naturally contains varying amounts of coumarin, a potentially toxic chemical. The amount contained in my recipes will not present a problem, but using large quantities of ground cinnamon daily may lead to excessive anti-coagulation or blood thinning. This is also the reason why I suggest using a special, water-extracted form of cinnamon for clients who choose to use this spice on a daily basis over the long term. Coumarin is a lipid soluble component of cinnamon and isn’t present in meaningful quantities in aqueous cinnamon extracts. Being mindful of this isn’t meant to scare anyone. Rather, it’s intended to promote an environment where we’re all informed and respectful of the pros and cons of even the most natural foods and ingredients. (7,8,9,10,11,12)

Be well!

JP


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Posted in Food and Drink, Nutrition, Recipes

7 Comments & Updates to “Ginger Cookie Recipe”

  1. anne h Says:

    Those cookies – the picture looks so good!
    I want to try to cook them.

  2. JP Says:

    Thank you, Anne!

    I’m having one right now with a cold glass of almond milk. 🙂

    Hope you enjoy them too!

    Be well!

    JP

  3. Shani Says:

    Would whey protein instead of the egg white protein or does the egg white protein have a particular baking purpose? Thanks.

  4. JP Says:

    Shani,

    It probably would work just fine. However the texture may be affected. I suspect the egg protein powder (which I had on hand) may give the cookies a lighter consistency – much like using egg whites.

    If you try this recipe out using whey protein, please let us know how it turns out.

    Be well!

    JP

  5. Pradip Gharpure Says:

    Very good alternative provided by you. Thanks for it. It is really wonderful to have it.

  6. Nina K. Says:

    Hi JP 🙂

    you should use the real cinnamon –´> ceylon, it’s lighter in color and has a smoother taste and very less coumarin, ceylon is the “original” cinnamon, with all health benefits 🙂

    Greetings,
    Nina K.

  7. JP Says:

    Nina,

    I’ll see if I can pick some up on my next trip to the health food store. Thank you for the suggestion. 🙂

    Be well!

    JP

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