Cacao-Sesame Cookies with Ginger Marmalade: Recipe

I made these cookies last night and just had to share them with you all! My basic format was this Martha Stewart recipe for chocolate cookies, but I modified it, using all organic ingredients, included some whole wheat flour along with white, raw cacao powder (packed with antioxidants) instead of the processed stuff, natural granulated sugar (which ends up making the cookies melt in the mouth as you chew), and I halved the butter. Lastly, I rolled the treats in sesame seeds for crunch and flavor (and a teensy bit of protein).

I used a calorie calculator site and if you make 32 cookies with the above recipe (which is how many it made for me), each cookie is 110 calories, so not crazy-unhealthy, but still tasty. They are a wonderful flavor combination of sesame, salt, chocolate and sweet and spicy ginger. I love lots of flavor, and these cookies deliver!

Ingredients

3/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
3/4 cup organic pastry flour
1/2 cup raw cacao (I like Navitas, available many stores)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon seasalt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted organic butter, softened
1 1/2 cups organic granulated sugar
1 large organic free-range egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure organic vanilla extract
Ginger Marmalade (I like the classic Dundee)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
Using a 2 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 4 inches apart.

Bake until edges are firm, 14 to 16 minutes.

Using a tiny spoon, scoop a bit of ginger marmalade and gently top each cookie while they are still warm, after you have transferred to a wire rack. Eat and Enjoy!