Almond meal + no 'refined sugar' biscuits

Figure 1: I know they look like dogshit patties, but they are actually really nice. I need help with my foodtographs

Abstract

Chocolate almond meal cookies that only have sugar content from molasses, optional custard powder and the small amount present in Splenda. Substituted almond meal and custard powder for flour. Substituted Splenda for sugar. Substituted molasses for brown sugar.
I guess this makes them...healthier or something? I don’t know. I just wanted to know if it was possible, and it is! Nom.

Calories

The main reason I've done this is to reduce caloric intake. I know calorie intake is only one aspect of diet and health, but nonetheless, here is the comparison, estimated by your good and trusted friend, Google.

 

Original vs new recipe	Ingredient	Calories per cup	Amount used in recipe	Calorie total in whole cookie batch
New	Splenda	96	½ cup	48
Original	Sugar	774	½ cup	387

New	Molasses	977	¼ cup	244.25
Original	Brown sugar	836	½ cup	418

New	Almond meal	648	2 cups	1296
Original	Plain flour	455	1 ¾ cups	796.25

If you used the original recipe as seen here, you would have a total of ~1601.25 calories between these three ingredients.

My jury-rigged recipe has a total of ~1588.25 calories between these 3 substituted ingredients indicating that I WIN. Also these may be better for diabetics since the amount of available sugars are lower, in the sweeteners (Splenda and molasses) and the almond meal, when compared to sugar, brown sugar and plain flour. This isn’t medical advice, this is just a quick unscientific comparison to validate my wasted Sunday afternoon. References: Google search, lulz.

Ingredients

• ½ cup artificial sweetener (Splenda is good)
• (½ cup sugar equivalent)
• Splenda/Stevia/Equal/whatever
• 150g (~3/5th cup) butter/olive oil spread
• Butter is better
• 3 eggs
• (3 instead of 1 - 2 for almond meal’s density + for chew factor)
• ¼ cup molasses
• (Substitution of ½ cup brown sugar)
• 2 cups almond meal
• ½ cup custard powder
• 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• I love dark and bitter. Remove at least 3 tablespoons if you only like milk chocolate like a milk-chocolate baby
• Pinch of salt
• Dash of nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• Not essence
• Chopped dates/dark chocolate at desired level
• Dates AND chocolate?

Cookware

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Semi-large mixing bowl
• Baking paper
• Baking tray
• Electric beaters
• Silicone spatula

Protocol

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (fan forced)
2. Put baking paper on baking tray
3. Sift ½ cup artificial sweetener into mixing bowl
4. Add ⅕ cup molasses, ~4/5th cup butter and 3 eggs
5. Beat with electric beaters till consistent
6. Sift 6 tablespoons cocoa, 2 cups almond meal, pinch of salt and dash of nutmeg into mixing bowl
7. Mix with spatula/hands (will be very sticky)
8. Shape into flat discs/cookie shapes 
9. Bake at 160°C for 
• 10 – 12 minutes: chewy, delicious
• 15 minutes: good but less chewy
10. Cool and eat

Notes

• Chewier cookies:
• Lots of sugar and liquid
• Less fat (use 150 g butter + ¼ cup molasses)
• Lots of eggs (keep at 3)
• Bake for 10 - 12 minutes

• Written and cooked on 24/9/17
  
• I wish the cooking industry standardized food amounts into grams, not cups. Gosh!