Take these to your next holiday party or cookie exchange and I promise they won't disappoint! We make these every Christmas and over the years have experimented with making them a bit healthier....much to my kids objections!
I've added a boost of fiber and protein to the traditional recipe with the flax and chia seeds, and reduced the amount of sugar for this lightened up version.
And if you haven't read about the health benefits of chia and flax seeds take a look at some of these resources. The Cleveland Clinic finds that flax seeds not only help with digestion, but are also high in antioxidants (which help fight cancer), and can lower cholesterol.
Harvard Health states that, "chia seeds are the richest plant source of omega -3 fatty acids and they are a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids that cannot be made by the body." And remember to store both of them in your fridge or freezer so they keep longer!
If you are looking for other ways to incorporate these two super foods into your diet, I've put together my favorite recipes and packaged it into my first Sperry Wellness e-cookbook....and chia + flax seeds are featured in many of the recipes. From baked goods, to healthy pancakes, to salads, to kid friendly snacks- this cookbook has over 25 simple recipes aimed at helping you get healthy food on the table faster.
Bon Appetite!
Skinny Peanut Butter Kiss Blossoms
11/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tbs peanut butter (I like Justin's brand)
1 teaspoon flax seed meal 1 teaspoon chia seeds
Baking Tip
It's important to prep the Hershey kisses first, unwrapping them individually, and then placing them in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes beforehand. This will prevent them from melting when you place them on the warm cookies.
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in small bowl. Set aside
In a large bowl, mix the butter, egg and vanilla. Stir in the brown sugar and peanut butter. Mix until smooth. Make sure there are no lumps of brown sugar. Stir in the flour mixture and flax seed meal + chia seeds and mix.
Roll the dough into one inch balls using your hands. If the dough is too soft, refrigerate for 10 or 15 minutes until it firms up.
Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. You should have about 12 cookies per sheet.
Gently press down with a fork and make a criss cross pattern. (Not too flat)
Bake for approx 11 minutes.
After removing from the oven make sure to quickly place the kisses in the center of each cookie, pressing down lightly. I find that putting the cookies back in the freezer once you are done for about 20-30 minutes