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Recipe Rehab: Chocolate Chip Cookies
Posted on Apr 15th 2010 4:00PM by Tanya Zuckerbrot
Chocolate chip cookies were reportedly first invented in the 1930s and have since become the most popular cookie recipe in America. The most common recipe continues to be the one found on the back of the bag of chocolate chips, and one of our readers writes in with the request to rehab this popular recipe.
One cookie from a batch making three dozen is about 143 calories and contains 7 grams of fat. This is reasonable, if you can limit yourself to just one -- but if you want to make a cookie sandwich, or if you prefer the jumbo-size versions, you may easily be taking in more calories than you realize.
Since I don't want to turn this popular recipe into oatmeal raisin cookies, I will leave in as many of the original ingredients as possible. However, in order to improve the calorie and fat content, I will focus on altering the amounts of certain ingredients and making small substitutions that will not drastically alter the taste.
For starters, I will substitute half of the flour with whole wheat flour just to add a little more fiber to the recipe. Additionally, I will cut back on the fat by using non-fat sour cream instead of half of the butter, the other half I will replace with trans-fat free margarine. In order to retain moisture, I will use a little water to help the cookies spread out and this will also allow me to cut down to one egg. And don't forget to use dark chocolate chips for more antioxidants! These small changes trims the recipe down to 104 calories and cuts nearly half of the fat, but I bet you won't notice the difference.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) Smart Balance 50% butter blend
- 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1.5 tablespoons water
- 1.5 cups (12 oz. package) dark chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. Cream together the margarine and the sugars. Add the sour cream and vanilla and continue to mix. Beat together the egg and the water, add to mixture and continue to beat until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the liquids and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees F for 12 minutes or until the bottoms brown.
4. Cool on wire racks.
Makes: 3 dozen cookies
Nutrition Content (per cookie): 104 calories, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 15 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein, 100 mg sodium
Editor's Note: The original story did not specify the amount of baking soda. It should be 1/2 teaspoon.
For a healthier twist on another favorite cookie recipe, try my rehab for Peanut Butter Cookies!
Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your 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.
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? Send us your recipe!
