Pamela M. Peeke remembers racing home from grammar school hoping to find her mother's homemade oatmeal raisin cookies waiting for her. Rolled oats and raisins fueled her play on many occasions and because she didn't want to let go of this childhood comfort food, Peeke, now a nutrition and fitness expert, updated her mom's original recipe to include healthier ingredients. It's funny, says this woman whose titles include MD, MPH, FACP, and keynote speaker at Speaking of Women's Health 2007, how life can be just as tasty with less sugar and butter.

Peeke's recipe, featured in the book Love Notes to Our Moms and Other Women of Influence, goes as follows and makes a batch of 38 cookies, each with 75 calories, 2 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of protein, and even a gram of fiber.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup low-fat cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly coat baking sheet with canola oil.
• In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix briefly.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add to creamed mixture and mix until all dry ingredients are moistened.
• Portion heaping spoonfuls of dough, about 3/4 oz. onto baking sheet about 1-1/2 inches apart. Bake for seven minutes. Lightly flatten with finger. Rotate baking sheet and continue baking for four minutes.

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