Halloween Devil's Food Drops

Happy Halloween! I hope you're all enjoying lots and lots of good candy today.

I found a version of these devil's food cookies in a cookbook of mine, and based on the name, I thought they would be a wonderful recipe to try for Halloween. Like Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, and many other holidays, I love the imaginative recipes that so many people create. This is one reason why I bake in general: it's a great creative outlet, and the seasonal treats that everyone, from my friends to the neighborhood bakery, create put me in a festive mood. And although I did not make any chocolate witch's hats or ghost cupcakes (to be honest, I didn't even wear a costume!), I wanted to celebrate somehow.
I took this recipe and made several modifications to make them a bit healthier, and not so “wicked” (if you prefer to place moral judgment on your baked goods). Nevertheless, these cookies are unbelievably rich, dense, and utterly chocolate-y. The white chocolate topping adds some needed sweetness, but it can be omitted if you're in the mood for something darker.

Devil's Food Drops

Yield: About 48 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup date sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
4 oz. good quality white chocolate

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F and coat two cookie sheets with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, blend the applesauce and the date sugar with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one a time, blending well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and blend together.
4. At a low speed, alternatively add the flour mixture with the sour cream, mixing until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop by the teaspoonful onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes, watching carefully at the end. The cookies are done when they are set and there is a slight browning on the bottoms. Cool completely on wire racks.
6. In a double boiler, melt the white chocolate. Using a wooden spoon, drizzle or drop dots of white chocolate on top of the cookies. Let the white chocolate harden.