Brown Rice & Okinawan Potato Cookies

I made cookies today. And I wanted to use Purple Sweet Potatoes and Brown Rice Flour as the main ingredients. Trying to be healthier. Except I cannot give up my friend, Mr. Butter. Ever.

Before I decided on this experimental cookie recipe, I came up with a slew of recipe idea's I thought were original. Only to find out that most of what I thought of had already been done. ~sigh~

And this is most definitely not your first sweet potato cookie recipe. Perhaps the first purple sweet potato cookie recipe. But then again, i'm not sure about that either. The combination of flavors are just a variation of ingredients that I thought would be nice together. I also wanted to keep in mind the more healthy ingredients that are available but rarely use.

How do you my foodie friends find inspiration for your recipes? Because this is all still new to me and I'm still learning what goes with what. And how much of this and that is the right balance. Baking is a science if you think about it. So trying to come up with something original and something that would work was extremely difficult.

By the way, I recently received a coupon for $1 off Activia Desserts and thought I'd share it with all of you. They come in a variety of flavors too. I got the vanilla bean flavor myself. I don't know about you but I love saving money and coupons are always welcomed. Oh, did I mention, that Foodbuzz is sponsoring a recipe contest. And I'll be automatically entered into it just for posting this entry. How cool is that!

So back to the cookie. One of the ingredients in this cookie recipe is the Purple Sweet Potatoes or Okinawan Potatoes. Native to the Island of Japan, these guys are fat free, low calorie and loaded with antioxidants.

This was also the first time I used a Brown Rice Flour. Its a great alternative for those who have gluten intolerance. But please purchase one that states "gluten free"on the packaging as some brown rice flours can be contaminated with other gluten products while being made.

Another great vitamin rich ingredient used in this recipe are Goji Berries. These miracle berries have been used by Chinese, Indian and Tibetan herbalists for over 6,000 years. Ultra high in antioxidants and beta carotene, these raisin like berries are sweet and tangy. My mother in law introduced this to me. She put it into our tea.

And last but certainly not the least, the Activia Vanilla Bean Yogurt. The yogurt gave these cookies a bit more moisture. I had some so I thought why not add a bit. I'm glad I did. We enjoyed our Activia yogurt with fresh fruit too.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
1 Cups Brown Rice Flour
1 Stick Butter
1 tbsp Activia Vanilla Bean Yogurt (optional for a more moist cookie)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 Cup Baked Purple Sweet Potato (3 medium purple sweet potatoes)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Goji Berries

Directions
1. Bake the purple sweet potatoes at 400º degrees for about 40-50 minutes. Check by poking with a fork. Take skin off and discard. Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork and allow to cool completely. I placed mine in the freezer for a bit. Stir occasionally until cooled. Three medium sweet potatoes yields about 1 cup. Look at the vibrant purple color!

2. Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, egg and yogurt together.

3. In a separate bowl combine the brown rice flour, salt and baking powder.

4. I used my KitchenAid mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and I combined the butter mixture and the sweet potato mixture on speed 2 until well blended. Slowly add the brown rice flour mixture to the batter until fully blended. Using a spatula mix in the dark chocolate chips and goji berries.

5. Preheat your oven to 375º degrees. I used my ice cream scooper to place the batter onto my baking mat. Flatten the cookies a bit to create a circle. Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on how you like your cookies. Cool completely before serving.

The batter had beautiful and vibrant colors. The less you cook the cookie the more purple in color it remains. The cookies are delicate and has a texture similar to a shortbread but soft. Don't forget your Activia Desserts coupon. Seriously, who doesn't want deals and its a great way to try a new product. Enjoy my friends!