These wholesome cinnamon-sugar-crusted apple-oatmeal cookies—without a gram of saturated fat—make snack time enjoyable for everybody.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large egg whites or 4 teaspoons dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions
1/2 cup coarsely shredded peeled apple, such as McIntosh or Cortland (about 1 small apple)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup apple butter
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup diced dried apples
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Spread oats and nuts on a baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and golden, 5 to 8 minutes; set aside. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Combine egg whites, shredded apple, brown sugar, apple butter, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl; stir until blended. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Stir in dried apples and reserved oats and nuts.. Drop the dough by level tablespoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets.
4. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Coat the bottom of a glass with cooking spray. Dip the glass into the cinnamon sugar and flatten cookies with it, dipping the glass into the cinnamon sugar for each. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per cookie: 70 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 56 mg sodium; 37 mg potassium.
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 1/2 fat
TIP: Look for whole-wheat pastry flour in health-food stores; it gives baked goods a light texture while adding fiber. Store flour in an airtight container in the freezer.
The Library subscribes to Eating Well, so if you want other recipes from this magazine come on in a take a look.
Fruit and Nut Snack Bars
|
Snack Mix |
|
| 4 | cups Cheerios® cereal |
| 1/2 | cup chopped dried apricots |
| 1/2 | cup raisins |
| 1/2 | cup sunflower nuts |
| 1/2 | cup salted peanuts |
| 1/2 | cup flaked coconut |
| Syrup | |
| 3/4 | cup firmly packed brown sugar |
| 1/2 | cup corn syrup |
| 1/4 | cup peanut butter |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla |
| Grease 13×9-inch pan with shortening. In large bowl, mix snack mix ingredients; set aside. | |
| In 2-quart saucepan, heat syrup ingredients except vanilla over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until boiling. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. | |
| Pour syrup over snack mix; toss to coat. Press mixture firmly in pan. To keep your fingers from getting sticky, spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray before pressing the mixture in the pan. Or use a small plastic bag, mitten-style, to grease the pan and to press the mixture into the pan. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Store in tightly covered container. | |
Nutritional Information 1 Bar: Calories 100 (Calories from Fat 30); Total Fat 3 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 45mg; Total Carbohydrate 15g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 9g); Protein 1g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 2%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Lemon Meringue Drops (These cookies are 5 calories each and are virtually guilt-free.)
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon(s) cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 cup(s) sugar
2 teaspoon(s) fresh lemon peel, grated
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment.
In medium bowl, with mixer on high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. With mixer running, gradually sprinkle in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until sugar dissolves and meringue stands in stiff, glossy peaks when beaters are lifted. Gently fold in lemon peel. Spoon meringue into decorating bag fitted with 1/2-inch star tip. Pipe meringue into 1 1/2-inch stars, about 1 inch apart, on prepared cookie sheets. Bake meringues, on 2 oven racks, 1 1⁄2 hours, until crisp but not brown, rotating sheets between racks halfway through baking. Turn oven off; let meringues stand in oven 1 hour longer to dry. Cool completely. Peel meringues from parchment; store in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 1 month.
And finally, here’s a recipe for a low fat marble brownie. We know this isn’t a cookie recipe exactly, but who can’t use another brownie recipe in their lives?
Chocolate Marble Cheesecake Bars (from the book Chocolate Cherry Tortes and Other Lowfat Delights)
Batter 1
16 oz lowfat ricotta cheese
2 egg whites
¼ c. sugar
1 t vanilla
2 T flour
In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
Batter 2
¾ c flour
¾ c sugar
4 T cocoa
½ t baking soda
1/3 c lowfat buttermilk
¼ c margarine, melted
2 egg whites
1 t vanilla
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking soda and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat together egg whites, buttermilk, margarine, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat at medium speed 1 minute. Pour into a 9×9 pan which has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon Batter 1 in pools on top and swirl two batters together with the blade of a knife. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan.
If you try any of these recipes, post a comment about them. And if anyone out there has healthy cookie recipes, please share them with us. And remember, let us be your recipe assistants. Happy cooking!