gone to carolina + a recipe

in my mind i'm gone to carolina... and in T-12 hours i really will be! i am flying out today after work to meet my friends in one of my favorite southern cities, charleston! my best friend kaitlin has finally turned 21 and we are celebrating the milestone with a beach weekend! my bag is packed full of LEONA and i am ready to take off! it will be a quick trip but i can't wait to see my friends and have some relaxing beach time with them. be sure to follow my instagram as i'm sure i will be posting often!

i did want to share this recipe with y'all before i left! i am always looking for healthier dessert options since my sweet tooth is my Achilles' heel. this recipe substitutes avocado for the oil and butter in otherwise classic chocolate chip cookies. with the addition of whole wheat pastry flour, splenda instead of sugar and brown sugar, and dark chocolate chips, this recipe really hits as close to healthy cookies as you can get. don't be afraid of the avocado - i promise you can't taste it!

healthy chocolate chip cookies

1 cup + 2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 mashed avocado (about 1/2 of a small avocado)

1/4 cup Splenda

1 tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 large egg + 1 yolk

1/4 dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs

1. preheat over to 325. spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. 
2. in a mixing bowl, beat together mashed avocado, sugars, vanilla, egg and the egg yolk until smooth. slowly stir in flour, cornstarch and baking powder. mix until well combined.
3. stir in chocolate chips. 
4. chill the dough in the fridge for at least two hours, or in the freezer until well chilled.
5. when ready to bake, shape dough into tbsp-sized balls and place on cookie sheet. smash just barely with fork.
6. bake for 13 minutes. they may seem undercooked but they aren't! 
7. allow to cool or eat right out of the oven!

(recipe slightly adapted from Food Faith Fitness)

make these as a special treat tonight! i was eating the dough before i could even get them in the oven! i promise a charleston weekend recap when i get back! heres to safe travels! 

xoxo,

clp