Betsy Davis reinvents Low Calorie Toffee Coffee Cookies

Betsy Davis made a yummy cookie for the February Historical League meeting.

Her comments, "I'm so happy that everyone liked the cookies.  It was a new recipe for me - I got bored one day and googled "low calorie cookies" and this is one of the recipes that popped up.  I actually modified it a little bit and I think they turned out pretty well!"

Toffee Coffee Cookies

Yield: 36 cookies
Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories per cookie: 78, 9.7 grams of sugar per cookie

The coffee flavor pairs well with the sweetness of the toffee.  These cookies are really soft and will stay that way for a week if stored in an airtight container.

Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
5 Tbs butter
2 Tbs instant coffee (I imagine you could use instant espresso too if you wanted a stronger coffee flavor)
2 egg whites
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 c. brown sugar, light or dark.  I used dark as I prefer the stronger molasses flavor.
4 Skor bars, broken up into small bits in the food processor, or chopped very small with a knife

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch and salt.

2. Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove. Pour into a medium sized bowl.

3. While the butter is still hot, add in the instant coffee and stir vigorously until almost all of the coffee dissolves.  It's important to mix the coffee into hot butter because it dissolves better and this reduces the amount of coffee speckles in the cookies and distributes the coffee flavor better.

4. Mix the egg whites and vanilla into the butter coffee mixture.  Then add the brown sugar, smearing out any clumps on the side of the bowl.

5. Combine the two bowls of and stir until incorporated.  I used my electric mixer on a medium setting.

6. Mix in 6 Tbs of the crushed up Skor bars.

7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for a couple hours.  Or, throw it in the freezer for 20 minutes.  You can refrigerate it overnight if you want to make the batter one day and bake the cookies on the next.

8. Preheat the oven to 350° and line to baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with cooking spray.

9. Using a Tablespoon measure, scoop out flat tablespoons of dough and make them into balls and place onto the prepared cookie sheet.  Spray the back of a spoon with non-stick spray and use it to flatten the cookies.  The, spoon a little bit of the leftover crushed Skor bars into the center of each cookie and press the topping into the cookie so it will stick there.  Eat any leftover bits of Skor bar ;)

10. Bake at 350° for 9 - 11 minutes.  I baked mine for 9 minutes.  They will look and feel slightly underdone.  Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet; they will finish cooking there.


Lots of great dessert recipes in Tastes & Treasures cookbook also.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin fans will love this easy to fix, moist cake.

Pumpkin Dump Cake
Ingredients:
1 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
1 10 oz can Evaporated Milk
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs (slightly beaten)
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted
1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans (walnuts are good too)
1/2 cup toffee bits (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Spray a 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking/baking spray
In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
Pour into your prepared pan.
Sprinkle your entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers and toffee chips.
Pour your melted butter evenly on top.
Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned.

Notes
serve with ice cream or whipped cream

Recipe adapted from: cookiesandcups.com

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

Can't beat this lovely sticky caramel pudding recipe turned into a rich and moist cake. Smother it with toffee or caramel sauce for a decadent treat. Everyone who tries it will definitely want seconds.

If you like caramel try the recipe in Tastes & Treasures for Caramel Custard Flan found on page 85. The flan recipe was given to the Historical League by historic El Chorro Lodge.

Sticky Caramel Pudding Recipe
Pudding Ingredients:
8 ounces pitted dates, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pudding Directions:
Spray an 8-inch (20 cm) square metal baking pan with nonstick baking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, combine the chopped dates, the baking soda and boiling water. Let it stand for about 30 minutes or until it is cooled to room temperature.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Add the brown sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla to the date mixture. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat it for 2 minutes, until blended (the mixture will appear slightly curdled). Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Mix again for 15 to 30 seconds until blended.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.

Set the pan on a wire rack. Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a toothpick. Pour 1/2 cup of the toffee or caramel sauce over the cake. Let it cool in the pan on rack for 10 minutes.

Caramel Sauce Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 3/4 cup whipping (35%) cream, at room temperature 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Caramel Sauce Directions:
In a small heavy saucepan, heat granulated sugar, stirring constantly, over medium heat until sugar is a dark caramel-colored liquid. Remove from heat and while whisking, carefully pour in cream.

Stir in the vanilla.

Makes 2 cups 

Tips: When heating, the granulated sugar will change from solid crystals to the consistency of wet sand to light amber liquid to dark liquid.
Make sure the cream is not chilled or it will splatter and seize the sauce.

To serve, cut the cake into squares and serve warm with the remaining sauce.

Store the cooled cake in the refrigerator in a cake keeper, or loosely wrapped in foil or plastic wrap, for up to 5 days. Warm cake, wrapped loosely in foil, in a 350°F oven before serving.
BY cookingnook.com