Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Click here to submit!

Recipe may vary from photograph Photo: Getty Images

Carla from Ontario, Canada will not compromise on baked goods by buying boxed versions! She requested a recipe makeover for carrot cake sandwiches, which she calls her "triumph cookies," as they were a comfort food for her family through some difficult times, including her mom's battle and ultimate victory over cancer. This rehab reduces loads of saturated fat, while keeping fiber in the form of oats and raisins to keep the entire family healthy!

By swapping sugar for Splenda, I was able to cut out 100 calories and 25 g of sugar per cookie, without compromising taste. Splenda and their blends work well for baking, since they don't degrade when exposed to heat. Before approval, the FDA reviewed more than 100 safety studies, including studies to assess cancer risk. The results of these studies showed no evidence that Splenda, made from altered sugar molecules, causes cancer or poses any other threat to human health.

I basically eliminated the amount of saturated fat by using canola oil instead of butter and swapping low-fat cream cheese for the filling. The fiber from the original recipe was decent, but I bumped it up even further by switching the flour to whole wheat. Now Carla's carrot cake sandwich cookies are truly "triumphant" as a healthy treat.

Ingredients:

Carrot cake cookie:

• 1 cup Splenda, brown sugar blend
• 1 cup Splenda, granulated
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups finely-grated carrots
• 1 cup raisins

Cream cheese filling:

• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup Splenda, granulated
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer bowl, combine Splenda, oil, egg whites and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined.
4. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger; stir to combine.
   
5. Gradually add flour to oil mixture; mix on a low speed until just blended. Mix in oats, carrots and raisins. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm for one hour.
6. Using a small ice-cream scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets.
7. Transfer to oven, and bake until browned for 12 to 15 minutes.
8. For the frosting, in a large bowl, combine cream cheese, Splenda and vanilla extract; stir until smooth.
9. Once cookies are cool, spread about 2 teaspoons of the cream-cheese filling onto a cookie. Sandwich with a second cookie and serve!

Serves: about 25 sandwiches

Nutrient content (per sandwich): 116 calories, 3 g fat, <0.5 g saturated fat, 20 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Are you concerned about using artificial sweetners? Get the facts here.

Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your most favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.