Chocolate Cherry Heart Smart Cookies are simply wonderful (and I’m not just saying that cuz I LOVE, love dark chocolate!) … these chewy, cherry, oatmeal yummy cookies are good for me too??? I’m in heaven : )
February is National Heart Healthy month and you’ll be glad to know that the oats, cherries, dark chocolate in these cookies are all super foods for our heart! I found this slideshow on Web MD that gives the run down of 24 foods that can save your heart!
Did you know that women have different signs of heart attack than men? Men experience a severe pain in the chest and numbness or pain down the left arm…
The most common heart attack symptom in women is some type of pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest. But it’s not always severe or even the most prominent symptom, particularly in women. Women are more likely than men to have heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as:
- Neck, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sweating
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Unusual fatigue
Interesting, right?? just a good reminder!!
Chocolate Cherry Heart Smart Cookies
*adapted from cooking light Jan 2010
Did you know that oats in any form lowers bad cholesterol and helps control appetite? It also has antioxidants, fiber, electrolytes, phytonutrients.
Cherries are packed with anthocyanins, an antioxidant believed to help protect blood vessels. Cherries in any form provide these heart-healthy nutrients: the larger heart-shaped sweet cherries, the sour cherries used for baking, as well as dried cherries and cherry juice.
Cocoa reduces blood pressure and cholesterol. Both cocoa and dark chocolate have been observed to aid your arteries in relaxing, thus widening and maintaining their flexibility, helping lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate and cocoa are particularly high in antioxidants called flavanols, which prevent the formation of plaque, thus preventing the rise in blood pressure. These antioxidants also help to deactivate free radicals in our blood which helps to maintain a balance in the cholesterol level in our body.
So give these Chocolate Cherry Heart Smart Cookies a try!! They’re good for your heart 
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- Chocolate Cherry Heart Smart Cookies
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- Ingredients for Chocolate Cherry Heart Smart Cookies
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- In a medium mixing bowl combine white and wheat flours
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- Add brown sugar, mix
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- Add oats, mix
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- Add baking soda,
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- cinnamon,
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- and salt! Mix well to combine
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- In large mixing bowl beat butter, add applesauce
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- Add egg and beat well with hand mixer
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- Add vanilla
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- Add half of dry ingredients, mix
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- Add remaining dry and mix well.
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- Add cherries, mix
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- Add that YUMMY chunked chocolate and stir in by hand
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- Lay parchment paper on cookie sheet
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- Drop dough by Tablespoonfuls onto parchement
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- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, cool 3 minutes on cookie sheet
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- Move to cooling rack to finishing cooling!
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- Enjoy!!
- ⅓ C all-purpose flour
- ⅓ C whole-wheat flour
- 1½ C old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp applesauce
- ¾ C packed light brown sugar
- 1 C dried cherries
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add flour mixture and beat until blended.
- Add cherries, vanilla, and egg; beat until combined.
- Fold in chocolate.
- Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake 10-12 minutes.
- Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes or until almost firm.
- Remove cookies from baking sheet and cool completely on wire racks.
I got one of these…
Please say they are healthy! I am trying to be good!
Ok just looked they look healthy enough! I love a new recipe!