The holidays can be a cruel time of the year for my best friend Lisa. She is one of the millions of people who cannot eat chocolate. (Yes, they do exist.) In Lisa’s case chocolate triggers incapacitating migraines. Others avoid the sweet treat due to allergies or they are forced to avoid the milk or the caffeine found in chocolate.
For Lisa (and people like her) the word carob is an important part of her vocabulary. Carob is a substitute for chocolate that’s higher in natural sugar, lower in fat and is caffeine-free. It comes from the dried pulp of the carob or locust bean and is sold at health food stores. That’s important information to have in case you were tempted to throw back a handful of carob chips. The taste is nothing like chocolate, unless you find the right recipe.
Lisa will be the first tell you that good carob recipes are hard to come by. Most cookbooks overlook the ingredient, especially in the baking section. Carob recipes are easier to find in vegetarian cookbooks (vegans like carob powders and some carob chips since they are made without milk products), which is where Lisa found the following recipes. She altered them a bit to create the treats she eats during the chocolate rich holiday season.
CAROB CHIP COOKIES
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed raw sugar
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup fructose (**see notes)
1 tablespoon powdered egg replacer with 4 tablespoons water (**see notes)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups carob chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cream butter with sugar, then mix in all other ingredients, adding the chips last. Drop by tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 18 to 22 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
**Notes: Fructose and powdered egg replacer are sold at health food stores. Though I have seen Fructose near the sugar in supermarkets. You can substitute 2 eggs for the egg replacer in this recipe.
CAROB CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES
Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup carob chips
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Melt shortening with honey, stirring until smooth.
Remove from heat and beat in eggs one at a time.
Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Fold in oats, chips, raisins and nuts.
Place spoonfuls of the dough onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.
Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies.
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