Food for Fuel: Healthy but Yummy Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies

September 24, 2008 at 1:35 pm | Posted in Baked Goods, Food | 10 Comments

Last night, the Baking Mood struck. This is a Bad Jess, as baking cuts into studying time and I still have frozen Banana Chip Cookie dough. I blame the Baking Mood on a combination of things: 1) work is slow right now and I’m bringing dessert to a tailgate this weekend, so I looked up recipes yesterday; 2) dinner, while yummy, was not filling enough without the chicken; 3) I had a hard run in the morning and yard work when I got home from work. So, lots of activity and not enough calories.

Speaking of yard work, I had an epiphany with the edger and now the edge of my lawn has a much straighter edge. Also, I changed the twine all by myself for the very first time. Now that the edger and I are friends, instead of mortal enemies, maybe the Home Owner’s Association will stop sending me threatening letters. Also, I wish they would stop putting those flyers on my door about voting for Yard of the Month. I don’t care, and I suspect they’re just doing it to mock me anyway.

I’m sorry, I think I promised you cookies at some point.

I was inspired by a recipe from my Pillsbury: Best of the Bake Off cookbook. It’s called Molasses Oat Bran Cookies, but I changed it a lot in the Name of Experimentation. I definitely altered it enough to type it out; it’s really not the same recipe anymore at all. AND I think it even qualifies for the Blogger Secret Ingredient.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 measuring cup filled as follows: 1/2 unsweetened applesauce, <1/2 non-fat plain Greek yogurt, drizzle of canola oil
• 1/8 cup egg whites
• 1/8 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup oats
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa (I couldn’t taste this, so I would either increase it or leave it out)
• 1/3 of a 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*. Mix the sugar, applesauce, yogurt, canola oil, egg whites, and molasses. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Plop balls of dough onto non-stick cookie sheet (or spray one with cooking spray first). I baked mine for 7-10 minutes, depending on size (I baked mine for 10 minutes). Cookies will spread.

Originally I was going to be super healthy and not add any chocolate chips, but I caved, and I’m glad I did.

I baked three cookies (saved one for today!) and froze the rest of the dough.

I expected a Bake Off winning cookie to be delicious. I had no idea that these cookies would be so good with my modifications! I really did not know what to expect from the applesauce/yogurt combo and other changes. I think the cross-section shows off the yumminess a little better:

I didn’t even think of it when I was making these, but this week’s Blogger Secret Ingredient is Apples. These cookies have applesauce, so I’m going to submit these to Care to Eat as my recipe.

Seriously, make these and enjoy.