Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

For some reason, when I make cookies I can't seem to leave the recipe as is; I always have to attempt to make it healthier. With that said, this is not a traditional cookie in the sense that it is more dense than flimsy. I believe the reasoning for it is that I substituted half of the butter for applesauce. When you substitute applesauce for butter, you do not get as much of a creaming effect, leaving the final product more cakey than buttery. If you prefer flimsy cookies over cakey cookies, I would suggest not omitting and butter.

If you would like to try to substitute applesauce if other baked goods you make, I would suggest using it for muffins and cakes. I have substituted applesauce 100% for these baked goods and the final product was still delicious. If you are going to use applesauce, be sure to get a no sugar added applesauce, otherwise, you are not doing yourself much good by making the substitution. Apples are naturally sweet, so if you are making muffins or cakes you could try omitting 1/4 of the sugar called for in the recipe.


Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients
½ cup applesauce
½ cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
4 TBSP milk (1/4 cup)
4 cups oats
1 ½ cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325F
   
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream sugars and butter. Add in applesauce. Beat in eggs one at a time and then add vanilla.
   
3. In a separate bowl, combine next five dry ingredients. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk.
   
4. Mix in oats and then the chips.
   
5. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12 minutes.