Test Kitchen: Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies and Zucchini Sticks

By Rachel Priebe, Nutritional Sciences student, Sargent College

Every Wednesday Karen Jacobs EdD, OTR/L, CPE, FAOTA hosts the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen in Stuvi 2 Apt. 2302 from 8-11pm. She invites the BU community into her home to test new Sargent Choice recipes while we cook, drink tea, and play board games.

This week at the test kitchen, I was more than a little distracted.  Its right in the middle of midterm season, always a stressor, and it was the night of the first Red Sox World Series game.  But I was able to put all that aside when I found out we were making cookies!  Cookies, especially healthy ones like these, always make me feel a little better so I was excited to make these sweet treats.

This recipe is super easy to follow, and is made healthy both through its reduced sugar and butter content, and through the addition of whole wheat flour and dried cherries.  One substitution that we found made the cookies more chocolatey was the use of regular chocolate chips instead of minis, as it made the flavor experience even more intense.

Tonight at the test kitchen it was special because we were making two recipes.  While the cookies were baking, we got to experience what is like to create a new recipe on the fly with Chef Sasha Stein Meyerson.  Sasha is a graduate from Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, and is also a first year grad student in the Nutrition program here at BU.  She was tasked with creating a recipe to go with a dip from Cindy’s Kitchen, which was a creamy dill flavored sauce. Sasha said that the first thing she does when making a recipe is gather all the ingredients that she thinks she might use, and spread them out in front of her.

She decided to make a baked zucchini stick, breaded with fresh herbs and whole wheat bread crumbs.  We tried several combinations of herbs, and decided that the more the better and included cilantro, basil, parsley, and dill.  These flavors really complemented the dip’s creaminess, and made the flavor of the zucchini pop.  One helpful tip she gave was the “wet hand/dry hand” method for breading: toss the zucchini sticks in flour and then egg with one hand, and then use your other hand to coat the sticks in the bread crumbs.  This helps avoid breading your fingertips!  Sadly, the final recipe still has to be recorded and sent to me but as soon as I receive it I will post it for all of our readers!

In addition to these two terrific snacks, we were also rewarded with a Red Sox win!!

Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies
Adapted from Cooking Light

Yields 30 cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 c. 100% whole white wheat flour
  • 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ c. granulated sugar
  • 1/3 c. unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2/3 c. dried cherries
  • 3 tbsp semi-sweet mini chips or chopped regular chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to350
  2. Measure out the cherries into a bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit while mixing other ingredients.
  3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
  4. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and  salt in a small bowl; whisk together.
  5. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat until creamy.
  6. Add vanilla and egg; beat well.  Once combined, slowly add in the flour mixture while continuing to mix.
  7. Drain cherries and add to batter, along with chocolate chips.
  8. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
  9. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes, or just until set. Cool on pan for a few minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks.

 

 

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One Comment

distillery equipment posted on July 27, 2022 at 1:43 am

Thank you for sharing

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