You shouldn’t compromise on taste for healthiness — that’s the motto Kelly Boretsky now lives by.
A few years ago, when the Dickson City resident found out she was headed for a diabetes diagnosis, she decided to make changes to get healthier. Boretsky started swapping in more wholesome ingredients or replacing those high in fat and carbohydrates. One of her creations, her Double-Chocolate Cookies, sounded too good to be true at just 99 calories per cookie, and Local Flavor had to taste it for ourselves.
Boretsky adapted the recipe, which earned her a $50 grocery gift card, from one she found online. The original called for white flour and sugar, but Boretsky had almost completely cut those out of her diet.
Boretsky used almond flour instead of regular flour and coconut sugar instead of white sugar, then used Greek yogurt to cut down on the amount of butter in the recipe.
“I just found out you can swap butter for Greek yogurt,” Boretsky said. “That way, you’re getting the protein without the added fat. I stopped counting calories and started focusing on the quality of what I was making or eating.”
Boretsky’s cookies packed all the taste of a typical cookie without a second thought. Sometimes, when you opt for healthier ingredients, you can lose a part of what makes a cookie such a treat. That wasn’t the case with her Double-Chocolate Cookies. They had a soft, gooey consistency, and the chocolate chips were rich and velvety. After just a bite, Local Flavor was hooked on the cookies.
Boretsky loves to bake. From her most-requested recipe for brownies (a favorite of daughter Lauren) or the dozens of different kinds of cookies she makes during the holidays, you can find the Midvalley woman experimenting with recipes.
Boretsky continues to try out different kinds of flours, such as almond and coconut, as well as healthy fats and other substitutions in her own cooking and for those close to her. To family, friends and her co-workers and students at Mid Valley Elementary Center, where she teaches fourth grade, she was always known for her baked goods. Her treats are still a big hit, but now it’s partly because of their deceptiveness — the desserts taste rich and decadent without the calories.
“‘Were those healthy or not healthy? Because they tasted not healthy,’” Boretsky recalled a friend saying. “You can’t taste the difference. You can still eat something that tastes good and it can be good for you.”
Kelly Boretsky’s Double-Chocolate Cookies
2 cups almond flour
2/3 cups cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup of butter (softened)
1/4 cup of 0% fat Greek yogurt
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips (Boretsky uses Enjoy Life brand)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.
Using a mixer, combine butter, yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients and mix well, but do not over mix. Mix in chocolate chips.
Drop by spoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake approximately 10 minutes.
Gia Mazur is an award-winning staff writer and beauty obsessive who joined The Times-Tribune’s Lifestyles department in 2015. She’s a product enthusiast who can’t live without an eyelash curler. A proud Virgo, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk is her go-to. Contact: gmazur@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127; @gmazurTT
