Holiday Cookies: Chocolate Chip and Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Chip and Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup regular oats
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup apple sauce, drained
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate mini chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. 

3. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients: oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
4. Place sugars and drained applesauce in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. 

5. Add vanilla and egg; beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. 

6. Stir in pecans and mini chips. 

7. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. 

8. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. 

9. Cool on pans 2 minutes. 

10.Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies, Serving Size: 1 cookie: 75 calories, 2.5 g fat

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light recipe

Chocolate Chip Cookies

For my first blog post, I thought nothing was more fitting than a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, my favorite dessert.  I've always enjoyed baking and cooking but recently I've taken up trying to make recipes healthier.  Reduce a little fat here, a little sugar there.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the following recipe.  All-purpose flour was substituted with whole wheat flour; butter substituted with applesauce.  However, all-purpose flour and butter are still in the recipe in small amounts to keep the texture of a cookie.  Recipe substitutions are a fine art.  The whole wheat flour adds fiber to the cookies while applesauce cuts out a significant amount of fat.  Tell me what you think!

Ingredients
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.
3. Spoon applesauce into a fine sieve over a bowl, let stand for 15 minutes. Discard liquid that runs into bowl. Scrape drained applesauce into a large bowl. Add sugar and butter; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Fold in chips.
4. Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 2 or 3 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

Yield: 3 dozen
Serving Size: 1 cookie

Nutrition facts: 78 calories, 2.9 grams fat, 12.8 grams carbohydrates, 0.8 grams protein, 0.2 grams fiber, 10 mg cholesterol, 87 mg sodium


Recipe adapted from "All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe in Cooking Light Complete Cookbook.