Dark Chocolate Florentines

From EatingWell: November/December 2008 — Subscribe Now!

Master of Fine Arts student Allyson Lea Smith consulted with her mother and baked at least six variations to create this healthier version of an oat-chocolate sandwich cookie.

About 3 dozen sandwich cookies

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | Low carbohydrate | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup low-fat milk, or low-fat plain soymilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup toasted almonds, or walnuts (see Tip), finely chopped
1/2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup apricot preserves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil or nonstick baking mats.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat. Add oil, oats, sugar, flour, milk (or soymilk), vanilla, salt and nuts and mix well. Drop level teaspoons of dough 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Spread or press each cookie into a thin, 2-inch circle with a fork or damp fingertips.
Bake the cookies, in batches, until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from the foil or mats. (The cookies will appear somewhat lacy.)
When the cookies are cool, melt chocolate chips in a double boiler over hot, not boiling, water (or microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between). Gently spread the chocolate on the flat side of half (about 36) of the cookies. Gently spread a little jam on the flat side of the remaining cookies. Press the apricot and chocolate halves together to make sandwich cookies.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Tip: Spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.

Nutrition

Per cookie: 108 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 19 mg sodium; 14 mg potassium.

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (other), 1 fat