Chocolate Drop Cookies

These are moist little cookies that are great to eat warm and dunk into a glass of milk for snack time. You might be surprised to see beans in a dessert recipe but it keeps the batter tender and adds fiber the kids won’t even know they’re getting. Sometimes it pays to be sneaky.

90g (3oz) non-hydrogenated soft margarine
90g (3oz) wholemeal flour
1 tbsp wheat bran
Sugar substitute equivalent to 120g (4oz) sugar
125ml (¼ pint) cooked white kidney beans 
35g (1½oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
90ml (3 fl oz) skim milk
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp baking soda

1. Put white kidney beans, wheat bran and 30ml (1fl.oz) skim milk in food processor and puree until well blended.
2. Put the margarine, flour, sugar substitute, bean puree, cocoa powder, remaining skim milk, egg, vanilla and baking soda in a bowl and beat until combined.
3. Preheat oven to 190C (gas mark 5).
4. Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a greaseproof paper lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool on a rack.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Storage: Keep in a resealable bag or airtight container for about 3 days at room temperature or in freezer for up to 3 weeks.