Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies made with Spelt Flour. Say what?

Spelt is a variety of wheat which seemed to have originated in central Europe but has now gained popularity in the US as a health food. Compared to all purpose flour, one cup of spelt flour contains 16 grams of protein, 88 grams of carbohydrates, and 16 grams of fiber. All purpose flour, on the other hand, has 13 grams of protein, 95 grams of carbohydrates, and only 3 grams of fiber. While spelt is more similar in fiber and protein content to whole wheat flour, it has less gluten than whole wheat. Therefore, it does not produce an elastic and well risen dough when used as the sole source of flour in some bread recipes.

Here, it works perfectly as a substitute for all purpose flour in this recipe. My goal was to create a relatively nutritious version of a chocolate chunk cookie. (I use the term "relatively nutritious" loosely because, let's face it, "double chocolate chunk cookies" in any scenario does not elicit thoughts and comments on nutrition.) Pure whole wheat flour is just too heavy and creates a very dense and dry cookie but, if you cannot find spelt flour, then go right ahead and use all purpose flour. Also, instead of using all dark chocolate like I did, semi-sweet also does the job.

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Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies made with Spelt Flour

Makes 15 to 20

1 cup spelt flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 egg plus 2 egg whites

1/2 cup brown sugar

1. Set oven to 350 degree F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Melt 2 cups of the chocolate chunks and the butter in a double boiler. Once melted, remove and allow to cool to the touch.

3. While the chocolate is cooling, combine spelt flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

4. To the melted chocolate, mix in the sugar followed by the egg and egg whites. Add the flour mixture and combine well. Fold in the remaining 3/4 cup of chocolate chunks.

5. Scoop two tablespoon mounds unto the prepared baking sheet, and press down lightly to create a mound with a flat top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks before serving.