Whole Wheat Chocolate Pecan Tartlets

My contribution to dessert for my New Year’s Eve dinner was chocolate pecan pie tartlets with a whole wheat crust. Generally, pecan pies are made with high fructose corn syrup, which I choose not to eat, so I decided to make bite-sized pies to get around that problem.

I used a basic recipe for pecan tassies, which is Southern for “pecan tartlets”. I substituted a few ingredients, below, to make it a bit more healthy: I swapped neufchatel cheese (lighter and naturally lower in fat) instead of cream cheese, whole wheat flour for white flour, and less sugar than the original recipe called for . I was pleased with the result! They were chocolatey and chewy in the middle and very satisfying.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Pecan Tartlets

PASTRY
8 oz neufchatel cheese, softened
4 oz butter, softened
1/8 c Sugar in the Raw
2 c whole wheat pastry flour

Beat neufchatel and butter until fluffy. Gradually add in sugar and flour until well combined (you may need to use your hands for this). Divide into four sections, roll each into a 6-inch log, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 2.5-3 hours.

FILLING
2 large eggs
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 c packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c pecans, finely chopped
2-3 chocolate chips per tartlet

In a large bowl, beat eggs, butter, vanilla, and brown sugar. Stir in pecans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove one log of pastry from refrigerator (keep the others there until you need to use them). Cut each log into 12 sections. With your palm, form each section into a ball and then flatten. In a miniature muffin tin (1 3/4 inches across the top) pan, fill all of the individual tins with the flattened dough. The dough should stick up out of the top of the pan. Place 2-3 chocolate chips on the bottom of each cup. Fill each with filling to 1/4 in from top.

Here’s the thing: I’m not sure about the baking time. The original recipe called for 26 minutes… I pulled mine out after about 12 because they were burning. I would put them in for 10 minutes, and then start to watch them. Pull them out when the crust starts to brown nicely. Let sit in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen with a knife and remove to a cooling rack.

Though these are a decadent dessert, they’re small… yet also filling, so there’s less of a chance you’ll eat 10 of them!

Spicy Ginger Cookies

At a recent holiday party, a friend offered me some ginger cookies she had made.  They were delicious — crisp yet also slightly chewy and more spicy than sweet.  I asked her for her recipe, which she sent me.

Each year, I make cookies for my friends as holiday gifts and decided this cookie would be perfect.  I made a few alterations to the recipe to make it slightly more healthy… and was impressed with the results.

Spicy Ginger Cookies
adapted from Stina’s Papparkakor Cookies

makes about 3 dozen

3/4 c organic sugar
2/3 c organic unsalted butter
1 egg
5 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
2 c whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom (a bit more if you want extra kick)
3/4 tsp ginger
pinch salt
sugar for coating

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream together butter and sugar for about 2 minutes.  Add egg, molasses, and vanilla  and mix well.  Add in flour, baking soda, and spices and mix well.  Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Roll one tsp dough into a ball using your hand, then roll in granulated sugar (e.g., Sugar in the Raw).  Press down on cookie sheet with the bottom of a glass; since they spread out, do 3 to a row.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, quickly remove from cookie sheet with a spatula, and cool completely on a rack.

Gingernutsnap cookies

To christen my new Cuisinart, which was given to me for my birthday, I decided to try a recipe from the Angelica Kitchen cookbook. The restaurant is one of my favorite in the city and I especially love their desserts, which are always light, sweetened with care, and full of flavor. Since the holidays are coming up, I chose to make a version of their gingersnap cookies. The results is amazing: not the loveliest cookies I’ve ever made, but have a very complex, well-balanced flavor. They’re spicy and slightly sweet (made with maple syrup and molasses–both natural sweeteners) — a perfect accompaniment for a mug of chai tea or served with vanilla ice cream. The addition of ground nuts adds some protein and good fat, so they are more satisfying and filling.

Gingernutsnap Cookie
adapted from Angelica Home Kitchen

1 c rolled oats
1/2 c sliced almonds
1/2 c raw cashews (not salted), chopped coarsely
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 + 1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 c molasses
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c + 1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 325. On a flat sheet, toast oats and nuts for 10 minutes. Add nuts, oats, ginger, salt, and cinnamon into food processor and grind to a fine meal. Stir mixture into whole wheat flour. In a separate bowl, whisk maple syrup, molasses, and oil together. Stir into dry ingredients. Dough will be coarse (see picture below). Roll 1-in balls in your hand. Press onto cookie sheet, flattening. Bake 16 minutes, remove from sheet and cool completely.

Pumpkin Pie

For those of you who have to bake for Thanksgiving, this recipe is for you. It’s an adaptation of Heidi Swanson’s Spice-kissed Pumpkin Pie, which also includes a hazelnut paste beneath the pumpkin layer. (I plan on making it with the paste soon).

This is SO easy to make. It took me about five minutes, I popped in in the oven, and it was ready to go 50 minutes later. I absolutely love the addition of the coconut milk instead of heavy cream. It makes the pie super creamy, but not heavy.

Pumpkin Pie

1 whole wheat crust
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp arrowroot (or corn starch)
1 tbsp high quality cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 c pumpin puree (I generally use organic canned pumpkin)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 c coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together brown sugar, salt, spices, and cornstarch. Stir in pumpkin puree and vanilla, then add coconut milk and eggs. Stir well. Place pie crust in a pie dish, poking the bottom a few times and a fork. Fill the crust with the filling and bake 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to at least room temperature. Enjoy!