There’s nothing I like better than a cookie, especially at Christmas time. I remember when I’d be baking with my mom. Every year, we’d fill up a whole roaster pan filled with homemade cookies. Frosted ones, fudgy ones, and nutty ones. It was too easy to eat one after another, especially when mom wasn’t around.
Cookies have always been one of those seducing foods for me over the years, making my weight climb and pushing me into the pre-diabetic zone. But it’s really not that surprising. Because many studies have shown that excess sugar can lead you into obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. It can also elevate your cholesterol and triglycerides.
No one wants to look older than they really are. But too much sugar can actually affect your appearance and how well you age. A study conducted at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and Unilever in the United Kingdom found that people between the ages of 50 and 70 who had high levels of blood glucose looked older than those of the same age who had lower glucose levels.
So what can we do to reduce added sugar from our holiday celebrations? I mean, what’s Christmas and New Year’s without a cake, cookies, or some other sweet treat? It’s time for feasting, right?I’ve discovered that our family celebrations can be just as sweet when I make desserts with fruit. In place of too much sugar or honey, I’ve been using more dates, especially Medjool dates. Medjools are high in natural sugar but they’re also loaded with fiber, so they don’t make our blood sugar spike like refined sugars will do. They also have more potassium than bananas and more antioxidants than blackberries or apples. They’re packed with healthy nutrition, which is something you can’t say about sugar, even some of the health-food sugars on the market.
You can also use Deglet-Noor dates. They are not as sweet and creamy as Medjools, but they still are plenty sweet for holiday desserts. Deglett-Noor dates also have fewer calories, so if you’re watching your weight, these are a healthy option for some holiday baking.
Another way to incorporate dates into your baking is to use date sugar. It’s naturally sweet but with more nutrition than any other sweetener on the market. Date sugar is made from ground-up dates. Nothing more, nothing less. So it’s just as healthy as using whole dates. I buy mine at Walmart. You might also find it in in your local grocery or health food store. I’ve used date sugar in making cookies, dessert bars, granola bars, and sweet bread, Just make a 1:1 swap with your favorite recipes that call for white or brown sugar. I’ve also used it as a replacement for honey or maple syrup. If a recipe calls for 1/4 cup of honey, I use 1/4 cup of dates, I’ll then add 1/2 cup of water and cook it for a few minutes on the stove, just enough to soften the dates and make a little date syrup. Blend it for a few minutes in your food processor along with your other cookie ingredients and you won’t miss the honey at all.
This week, I made some Carob-Almond Bites using Deglett Noor dates as the sweetener. If you’d like some fudgy balls for your holiday table, this recipe is easy to put together. There’s little cooking involved, although I do let them firm up in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving. You can also store them in the freezer until you’re ready to celebrate!
Carob-Almond Balls
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup coconut unsweetened, shredded or flakes
- 1/4 cup carob powder
- 1/4 cup dates chopped
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Chop dates into small pieces and add to a small saucepan.
- Add one cup of water to the dates. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes until the dates have softened.
- Add the dates, including the liquid, to a food processor. Also add the nuts, coconut, and carob powder. Process for about 5 minutes-- until you form a fudgy batter. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water, as needed.
- Scoop out the batter using a one-tablespoon measuring spoon. Form into small balsl and roll in some shredded coconut (I often use about a cup of shredded coconut on a sheet of wax paper).
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Or you can freeze them until you're ready to serve.
