Derailed and Flying at the Speed of Light

This week I celebrated my birthday. I can’t believe time flies so fast. Every year moves exponentially faster and before you know it another year is past. This is always a hard time for me to eat healthy because my family and friends know I love chocolate and I receive it as a present frequently. This year was no exception. It started with making homemade Oreo cookies with my niece. The recipe is too easy, the cookies are so delicious and if you make them small enough it is incredibly hard not to keep popping the one bite wonders into your mouth. Then my birthday celebration was filled with chocolate-toffee cake and Godiva chocolates...yum! I find I am very unmotivated to exercise or do any kind of physical activity when I am so full the best I can do it make it to the couch…. Well, one of the important things about a healthy attitude toward life and health is to forgive yourself and keep working at it. I have done just that and feel that even though I have derailed from my goal of a whole foods eating plan and regular physical activity this week, it is temporary and not the norm. Besides, there is nothing more motivating than the poor, pathetic look my dog Blink gives me that guilts me into getting up off the couch, putting on my hiking shoes and hitting the trails. Hurray for Blink!

Homemade Oreo Cookies
Here is my ‘healthier’ version I adapted from a recipe from www.cupcakeproject.com (who got it from Heaven is chocolate, cheese and carbs; who got it from Smitten Kitchen; who got the recipe from the book Retro Desserts by Wayne Brachman … this recipe really gets around!) There are two ways to form the wafers: by hand or rolled out and shaped with a cookie cutter. My niece and I like to roll out the dough and have fun with different shapes of cookie cutters. Use the method that works best for you.

Chocolate Wafers
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 1 large egg

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar.
2. Beat in the butter and the egg. Continue mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. There are two ways to form the wafers:

• Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, flatten the dough, or
• Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper and roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut out shapes (I find a smaller size give you more of a crunchy cookie).

4. Place wafers on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for 9 minutes at 375 F.
6. Set on a rack to cool for 20-30 minutes.

Filling
• 1/2 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or use your favorite flavoring – peppermint extract is also delicious)
• 1-2 teaspoons milk if needed to get the correct ‘Oreo cream’ consistency

1. Place butter in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla.
2. Add milk as needed.
3. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
4. To make a cookie, spoon teaspoon-sized blobs of cream into the center of a wafer.
5. Place another wafer, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.
6. Store in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week – if they last that long!
Yield: Makes about 40 cookies depending on how big you make the wafers.
Time: 1 hour