That’s The Way The Cookie Crumbles

Chocolate chip cookies are a classic–and might I add, delicious–dessert. This is my favorite thing to make because it’s quick, easy, and always a hit. I am a classic stress baker: when I have a big test coming up, when I’m homesick, or when I just have too much homework that I want to avoid, I usually whip up a batch of gooey chocolate chip cookies. The urge to bake hit a few weeks ago during the first week back at school when I was trying, and ultimately failing, to get back into homework mode after a five-week break. At 10:30 pm, I stumbled into my kitchen with a mission: bake cookies. The problem was, I was out of some staple baking ingredients, eggs, butter and chocolate chips. It was certainly too late to run out the grocery store, so I improvised with what I had–egg substitute, butter spread, and lots of left-over Christmas chocolate. The result: low-cholesterol, yet still tasty, chocolate chip cookies.

If you’re like me, you try to eat healthy (or healthy-ish) as much as you can. I usually don’t have butter in my fridge. Instead, I buy the buttery spread, like Smart Balance or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. I also have elevated cholesterol (thanks Dad!) so I either buy pure egg-whites, or an egg substitute for my morning meals. Both of these ingredients can be easily inserted into a recipe for great tasting desserts.

For my chocolate chip cookies, I use the original Nestle Toll House recipe, which can be found on the back of any chocolate chip package, or by clicking here. But for this low-cholesterol recipe, I’ll add in my own ingredients so you can have mouth-watering cookies, without (some of) the guilt. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (Tip: instead of measuring the salt in a measuring spoon, cup your hand and fill the deepest part of your palm with salt. Not everything in baking needs to be exact!)
1 cup butter spread
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 cups (12 oz package) of chocolate chips, or any chopped chocolate
1 cup chopped nuts (if desired)

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add egg substitute slowly, beating well after each addition.

(Mmm. Love me some cookie dough!)

Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Use a spoon to drop rounds of cookie dough onto slightly greased baking sheets (Tip: the original recipe calls for un-greased baking sheets, however I find it extremely helpful to spray baking sheets with a cooking spray, and then wipe off the excess. Those cookies will come right off!)

(Into the oven they go)

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown–the time will depend on your oven. Let cool.

(Nom nom nom)

Enjoy with a cold glass of milk. Have fun baking! And remember–it’s a cake walk!