Still not sure what you and your honey are doing for Valentine’s Day? Yeah, us either. We might not be able to plan (or pay for) a magically romatic night for you and your boo, but in the spirit of keeping things healthy this holiday, we thought we’d share a healthified recipe for an old classic: chocolate chip cookies. Seriously, what’s better than a warm, melty chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven? We can’t think of much. The best part is that you probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen! So whether you’re flying solo, newly single, hopelessly in love, or spending the big night at home with the kiddies…make these cookies! You’re welcome.
Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup canola oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. With a mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Add oil, sugars, egg, and vanilla, beating after each addition until creamy. Add flour mixture a little at a time and beat just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, for about 11 minutes or until edges begin to brown and centers are slightly golden. Cool completely (we can never wait that long). Devour. Makes about 2 ½ dozen cookies.
This recipe decreases the amount of sugar used in a typical recipe. Most of the time, you can reduce the amount of sugar by about half without significantly altering the taste or overall quality of the product. This recipe also replaces some of the butter with heart-healthy canola oil, and traditional white flour with whole wheat flour and oats. Tell us these don’t taste as good as your tried and true recipe. Or let your Valentine be the judge!
For more healthy recipes, you can always scope out the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website atwww.eatright.org. If you have any questions about healthy eating for you and your family, feel free to contact us by phone or e-mail, or by leaving us a message on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the icons in the upper right hand corner of our homepage. If your insurance qualifies, you could be entitled to SIX FREE VISITS with our expert team of registered dietitians!
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/feb/07/healthier-sweets-for-your-sweetheart/
