Recipe: Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

These delicious cookies are packed with flavor and heart-healthy nutrients. Make a batch any time, and fill your house with the fragrant scents of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or barley flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup baby food prunes or applesauce
• 1 tablespoon peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsulphered molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 1/4 teaspoons boiling water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Stir flour, cocoa and spices into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Add prunes and ginger into an electric mixer bowl and blend on medium speed until well mixed. Add brown sugar; mix until combined. Add molasses; mix until combined.
4. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water.
5. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with baking soda mixture (that is: add half the flour mixture, mix; then add the baking soda mixture, mix; then add the rest of the flour, mix).
6. Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap and pat to a 1-inch thickness. Refrigerate until firm, or until you can’t wait any longer (if you don’t wait, the dough will be really sticky)!
7. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, then roll in granulated sugar (optional). Space balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until surfaces crack slightly. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Ingredient health benefits

• Whole grains. This essential food group is packed with B vitamins that support a robust metabolism and help your body make new cells. Your skin can use the vitamin E to stay healthy and keep microbes out, while unsaturated fats promote your heart health by raising your “good” (HDL) cholesterol and lowering your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. Adding whole grains to your everyday meals and snacks may also reduce your risk of certain types of cancer, like colon cancer. And what’s more, the fiber and other natural compounds found in these little marvels help sustain healthy digestion and support your gut flora.
• Ginger. A powerful flavor with potent perks, ginger root is a good source of antioxidants like gingerol that fight free radicals and suppress unwanted inflammation. These compounds might contribute to pain relief from inflammatory conditions in the long term. And if you’re feeling a little queasy, reach for a fresh slice! Ginger has natural properties that may help to calm your upset stomach.
• Cinnamon. It’s easy to think of spices as nothing more than flavor enhancers. But cinnamon, which comes from cinnamon tree bark, is full of antioxidants to keep your cells in top shape. The spice also has iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and manganese — vital minerals that work together to support the health of your blood cells, bones and immune system.

Nutrition information (per serving)

Makes 2 dozen small cookies
1 serving = 1 cookie

Calories: 60
Fat: 0 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Sodium: 55 mg
Protein: 1 g
Carbohydrate: 14 g
Sugars: 7 g
Dietary fiber: 1 g

— Recipe from Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD.