Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I've been eating so well in this new year so far...but sometimes you just need something sweet. So, I set out to find a "healthy" as I could make it cookie or treat to make. While I love love love to bake, it's a tricky double edged sword. When there's only two of you in the house, you inevitably eat all the baked goods. So, when I came upon this recipe on http://www.skinnytaste.com/, I was happy to see that it only had 2 tbsp of butter and a lot of healthier ingredients....so I gave it a whirl...with a couple substitutions ...and was pleased with the final result! I bring you....Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies...

On the cookie sheet ready for baking. I must admit..I was a little nervous..the batter had a little bit of trouble making it from my cookie scoop to the cookie sheet and was falling apart. I had to sort of shape the dough a little..but the end result turned out fabulous!

Fresh out of the oven

Cooled and ready to eat

Low Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie
(from http://www.skinnytaste.com/ and http://www.bakingbites.com/)

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup plain, unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup  dark chocolate chips*

*I used whole wheat flour. Instead of chocolate chips, I used a 3oz dark chocolate 70% cacoa bar and chopped it up.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, with a mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars on medium speed.

Add the egg, followed by the applesauce and vanilla extract.

Working by hand, stir in the flour mixture and the oats until just combined and no streaks of flour remain; stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls (approx 1 tbsp each) of the dough onto prepared baking sheets, flattening each cookie slightly (I forgot to do this). Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until cookies become light brown at the edges.

Let cool on baking sheet for 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack  to cool

Makes about 30 cookies (my batch yielded 27 cookies)