I love the weekends. I love bouncing around in my nightie until all hours of the afternoon with nothing on the agenda. Usually that turns into what-can-I-make-with-what’s-on-hand time, and I love that just as much as my nightie. Which is why I bake while in my nightie. Ahhh…I love weekends. Unfortunately for my favorite nightie and I, however, it is stained and torn and just not looking too hot. When Mr. Prevention gave me a once over and chuckled, I knew the nightie would have to be retired. R.I.P. favorite nightie. Hopefully Santa brings me a new one! And then I will adopt apron wearing to preserve my new nightie. 😉
Sob story aside, this recipe sounded amazing…and I just happened to have a pomegranate on hand. Sold!
Chocolate Fudge Pomegranate Cookies adapted from How Sweet It Is
1 cup (2 sticks) butter 50/50 Smart Balance Butter Blend, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup sugar + 1/2 cup Splenda granular
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp pomegranate juice
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 3/4 cup pomegranate arils
Directions:
Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, then pomegranate juice and mix until combined.
Fold in chocolate chips and arils. Refrigerate dough for 2-4 hours (or more). When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350, roll into balls and set on baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Let cool completely. Yield: 4 1/2 dozen (54 cookies).
Nutrition Information (per cookie): 77 calories; 4.2 g. fat; 12 mg. cholesterol; 35 mg. sodium; 9.3 g. carbohydrate; 0.9 g. fiber; 0.5 g. protein
Result: These were delicious — the chocolate and pomegranate are a wonderful combination! The cookies are fragile and break easily, but I’m okay with it because I know I altered the recipe a lot. I don’t think the whole wheat flour or the Smart Balance butter was the issue, but possibly the Splenda. I don’t think the recipe needs a whole cup of chocolate chips…they are very chocolaty with the cocoa powder. I am going to take some to work and see what people think; Mr. Prevention does give a thumbs up!
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Cassie of A Pinch of This and A Dash of That tagged me to answer her 8 questions.
1.) What is your favorite magazine to read? Cooking Light. I know, I’m sooo predictable 🙂
2.) If you could develop/market a food product, what would it be? An oil lower in calories but still with plenty of healthy fat. I love oil, it adds texture, flavor, and body to cooking and baking, but it’s so darn high in calories!!
3.) Favorite Food Network show? I love Giada’s recipes most, but my favorite Food Network show is Down Home with The Neely’s — they are HILARIOUS!
4.) Clothing item you can’t live without? Hoodies. That was easy!
5.) Favorite thing about where you currently live? Ice-hockey. There are 175 adult hockey leagues and at least 10 sheets of ice around Columbus, I love it!! My team is a lot of fun, and I’m having a blast!
6.) Most memorable birthday? Definitely my 23rd birthday. I was living in Chicago completing my master’s and Mr. Prevention was living and working in Italy. I was napping at my parent’s house in the Lay-Z-Boy and I woke up to someone kissing me on the forehead. I opened my eyes and it was Mark (AKA Mr. P)! You can imagine my surprise, especially since there’s a 9 hour flight between Italy and Chicago! He had planned the surprise with my parent’s help and it was just perfect! We went to the Taste of Chicago and out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. 🙂
7.) Favorite holiday? This is one of those “favorites” that always changes! I love Christmas, though…the decorations, the music, the family, the food! It’s always a happy time of year!
8.) Where do you see yourself in five years? As a mom or soon-to-be mom (of a 2-legger) and a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). Outside of that, the sky is the limit!
I tag YOU! Share your responses to the above 8 questions! Copy and paste them into a comment and have at it! I love learning about you all! 🙂
I am working 8 of the next 9 days to flex my schedule in order to make it to Illinois for Thanksgiving. Gotta love not having vacation time when you start a new job 🙁 So if I’m not around much, you know why!
P.S. I have a few Q&A questions already, so I will plan another Q&A for later this week. Send your questions to me at [email protected]! Thank you!! 🙂
<3,
I just love pomogrates..use of those in cookies is something so new and different ..looks good and crispy!
Glad you like the cookies!
Aww, what a great 23rd birthday story!!
And, I love Christmas too 🙂 I bought our decorations this weekend and am so excited to start putting them up after Thanksgiving!
Great cookie recipe, thanks for sharing. Sorry about your nightie 🙁 I’m sure santa will bring you a new one. You have been a good girl this year, hehe
I would totally bake in a nightie if my roommate’s BF wasn’t around all the time. That would just be awkward.
These cookies sound so good. I’ve been wondering how pom seeds would hold up in baked goods…apparently awesomely!
I’ve had my eye on those cookies for days now!!
I love that birthday story! That surprise was adorable.
Ha! You sound just like me… lounging around with no cares in the world all day… I love those weekend days when they actually happen! 🙂
My fav Food Network show is Paula. She’s so over the top that I can’t help but love her.
Those cookies look so yummy!! I wanted to try these as well!
Super fun answers to the questions–thanks for doing them!! I’d have to say Cooking Light is in my top 3 fav magazines as well 🙂
Love the incorporation of pom seeds. It really makes these cookies beautiful!
your cookies look incredible! I love pom and chocolate, so I would love these! I would put the money on the smart balance 50/50 throwing the texture of your cookies out of whack….you seemed to have plenty of regular sugar in the recipe mixed with the splenda to not bother the outcome…but you do use quite a bit of butter in this recipe that you replaced with the 50/50, which has a much higher water content than butter does…I know this from experience myself with the smart balance 50/50 as a replacement for butter in baking. 🙂
Author
You’re probably right…I am not a very talented baker! I’ll tell you, though…I brought about 45 of the cookies into work and at 11am they’re just about all gone!
I am sure they tasted wonderful!!! :)))))
Mmmm I love chocolate and pomegranate – plus I have a pomegranate on my counter that needs to be cut open.
No one’s answering questions….
1.) What is your favorite magazine to read? Economist
2.) If you could develop/market a food product, what would it be? No idea….
3.) Favorite Food Network show? Asia Food Channel count? A UK show played here – various seasons of River Cottage with Hugh W.
4.) Clothing item you can’t live without? I really miss my grandma sweaters, but it’s way too hot here.
5.) Favorite thing about where you currently live? Christmas has already started and there is NO political correctness involved – Merry Christmas to all!! There are so many religions that coexist here and everyone is happy to celebrate with each other. We do all get along in Singapore 🙂
6.) Most memorable birthday? My 21st in China – we were in a weird part of town and couldn’t go out but my friends scrounged up a cake and candles. FYI – the Chinese do not know how to bake birthday cakes :). The next night in Shanghai though we went out and my friends had gotten me a shirt with velcro on the front and letters to spell out “Kiss me, I’m 21!”. Definitely memorable.
7.) Favorite holiday? 4th of July; not a lot of hype, usually just cook outs with fun people
8.) Where do you see yourself in five years? Back in the U.S. I suppose. Hopefully further down the path of having my own family. Who knows what my professional life will bring….
Author
Thanks for answering!! Finally!! Someone!! 🙂 Your 21st sounds awesome…I love the shirt idea!
Chocolate and pomegranate = power combo. So good.
I love that you lounge around and bake, it’s so relaxing. I wish there were more days like that.
Looks delicious!! I might have to try to make these and play around with ingredients too. I might try them with Stevia in the Raw (as opposed to splenda). Do you think a banana would work for one of the sticks of butter?
I agree with the oil!! A lower calorie oil would be amazing 🙂
1.) What is your favorite magazine to read? People StyleWatch 🙂
2.) If you could develop/market a food product, what would it be? Hmm that will take some serious pondering
3.) Favorite Food Network show? Chopped or Iron Chef America
4.) Clothing item you can’t live without? Sweatshirt
5.) Favorite thing about where you currently live? Being able to walk to do errands (my parents house is in the country so you always have to drive into town hehe)
6.) Most memorable birthday? I had a Disney Princess themed 21st! My boyfriend bought all the decorations including a princess cake! I even got some boys to wear the tiaras haha
7.) Favorite holiday? Christmas. I love the whole season. And I don’t mind starting before Thanksgiving 🙂
8.) Where do you see yourself in five years? An RD in the community setting, particularly working with kids. Married. And hopefully starting a little one of my own!
1.) The Economist
2.) Artisan Bread
3.) Chef at Home or French Food at Home
4.) Mine’s a hoodie too! My grey Roots scuba hoodie. Love it to pieces.
5.) Favorite thing about where you currently live? Local wineries
6.) Most memorable birthday? Memorable in a good way– 25th. Memorable in a bad way– 21st
7.) Favorite holiday? Christmas
8.) Where do you see yourself in five years? Alive.
Those cookies look pretty darn delicious! I love the addition of pomegranate. yum!
It sounds like your nightie is equivalent to my slippers. I swear, I can’t walk around the house without them on. I can’t seem to take them off!! Gotta love the cozy stuff!
These cookies look so good. So sorry about your nightie, but I hope you do get one for Christmas.
Here are my responses:
1.) What is your favorite magazine to read? I like Cooking Light too, but my favorite is People, which I read at the gym.
2.) If you could develop/market a food product, what would it be?
That is really tough. I would say a great tasting low calorie cheese, with less cholesterol.
3.) Favorite Food Network show? This is really sad, but we do not get the food network, so I have no idea what is on there anymore. I do get some food shows on AFN, and I like the Food Network Challenge, despite seeing the same episodes multiple times.
4.) Clothing item you can’t live without? jeans, and good ones that fit right
5.) Favorite thing about where you currently live? Like you even have to ask me that! I would say the ocean view from my house…along with everything else about living on a tiny island in the Atlantic.
6.) Most memorable birthday? I would say this past year when my mom took me all over Spain and Morocco, with some time in Lisbon, but because Ryan could not go, I must pick also the time he took me to Santa Monica for my birthday, which was also our first out of town trip together.
7.) Favorite holiday? Halloween!
8.) Where do you see yourself in five years? I would like to say almost finished a PhD, but with the military there is no real way to know. I do know I want kids then, but the rest I can’t say for sure or I may wind up disappointed when it may not be possible to be there with the military picking where we live. I want to stay overseas for now though.
The cookies look great and your pictures are gorgeous! So much fun to get to read about you…Cooking Light is my favorite magazine too! (And Christmas is my favorite holiday! 😉 )
How did I miss seeing this?? well, here goes….
1.) What is your favorite magazine to read? anything to do with food, recipes, health and fitness
2.) If you could develop/market a food product, what would it be? I am stumped. Can’t think of anything. Maybe chewing gum with an appetite suppressant in it! haha
3.) Favorite Food Network show? I’m an Ina fan through and through. I am asking for her new book for xmas….”how easy was that?”
4.) Clothing item you can’t live without? Black Yoga pants…and I need more!!
5.) Favorite thing about where you currently live?I live in Northeast Ohio, and not to be a Debbie downer, but there is not much I like about living here. It’s ok…I can think of about a billion other better places…oh wait, there is one thing, low risk of natural disaster. Does that count? lol
6.) Most memorable birthday? My 40th when Mr. Stickybuns surprised me with a trip to New Orleans! I hope he does something similar for my 50th….because I deserve it! haha
7.) Favorite holiday? I would have to say Thanksgiving. All the joy of having friends and family around, without the stress that xmas brings.
8.) Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully living the good life still….I am blessed!
Wow! Those cookies look amazing. Chocolate + pomegranate = awesome duo!
looks very yum…nice cookies
I love weekends too 🙂 So much time to get creative in the kitchen. Jessica’s chocolate cookies are amazing. I like the idea of adding pom seeds too- seems like a really pretty christmas like cookie
Oooh! the pom in the dark cookies are kind of like rubies….so pretty!