Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Treadmill Workout

Two things that don’t really go together… or do they…?

Anyone else feel that way about Pinterest sometimes?  I’m not a huge “pinner,” but when I am on Pinterest I always find myself pinning brownies… then a Tabata workout… then a crazy cupcake recipe… then an awesome strength training routine.  It’s so messed up!

That being said, if this is the kind of Friday where you are in the mood for both a dessert AND a workout, then you are in luck because that’s what this post is bringing you.  Last night I had a free night to relax (say whaaaa) and I decided I was in a baking kind of mood.  I posted a little poll on my Facebook page on whether I should make chocolate chip banana cookies or chewy caramel apple cookies.  The majority said apple, but I was craving some chocolate so I went with the banana chocolate chip.

I decided to play around with coconut flour and some other substitutions and just see what happens.  Note:  This is VERY unlike me because I am very by the recipe.  It drives Tim bonkers.  I’m terrible at “just throwing things together” when it comes to food.  I’m way better at just throwing together a workout.

I noted what changes I made from the original recipe below.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe inspired by Allrecipes.com, makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups coconut flour (instead of all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup white sugar (the recipe called for 2/3 cup white sugar.  I used 1/3 cup and then 1/3 cup stevia instead).
• 1/3 cup raw stevia
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (instead of 1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons butter)
• 2 eggs (the recipe called for 1 1/4)
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 bananas, mashed (this was about 1 cup instead of 2/3 that the recipe called for)
• 1 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Grease cookie sheets.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together, and set aside.
4. Cream the butter (applesauce) with the sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
6. Mix in the mashed bananas.
7. Add the flour mixture, and stir until just combined.
8. Stir in the chocolate chips.
9. Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Results:  Tim thought these were a little too banana-ish, but he is not a huge banana fan like me so I thought the banana flavor was just fine, especially with the melted dark chocolate chips.  The cookies themselves were a little crumbly… it was hard to pick one up without pieces of it falling apart.  Is that how coconut flour gets?  I’ve never really baked with coconut flour before.  The cookies weren’t too DRY, maybe a teeny bit?  Just a bit crumbly.  I think next time I’d use an oil (coconut? extra virgin) as a butter substitute instead of the applesauce.  Comments and suggestions welcome!

Don’t fret though, friends.  A little crumble never hurt a cookie.

 

I still enjoyed them.

(I wrote that and then realized a good title of this post would have been “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”  But then I’d have to change the beginning of the post and take out my someecard about contradictory pinning habits.  So I’m leaving it).

If you try this recipe, let me know what you switch up and how your version comes out!

Now onto the workout.  One of the cardio workouts in Best Body Bootcamp this week was to do a 25 minute cardio interval workout of choice.  I decided to give a treadmill workout a go, despite being a tried and true elliptical fan (hip injuries, foot injuries, etc.  You guys all know my story).  This was on Wednesday.  I ended up completing the following 25 minute treadmill interval workout before finishing up my time at the gym with another self driven plank challenge:

Any treadmill fans out there?  This was exactly what I needed on a day where I only wanted to do cardio (minus the plank) and didn’t have a ton of time to get activity in.  Was in and out of the gym in no time.

Oh, and I’m up to holding a four and a half-minute plank.  Go me!  I challenge you all this weekend to time yourselves and see how long you can hold an elbow plank for.  I guarantee it won’t be as bad as you think, especially if you have the TV on to distract you.

One last thing for today’s post… the winner of my Words to Sweat By fitness mantra jewelry giveaway!  Congrats Arlene Hittle!  Please email me at akaralekas@gmail.com to claim your prize.

For anyone who didn’t win… don’t worry!  Words to Sweat By is offering all F&F readers a 10% discount off any purchases from now until November 9th, 2012.  Just click over to the website, pick out your favorites, and enter the coupon code “fitnessandfeta” at checkout.

Happy weekend all!