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Good For You Chocolate Oat Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar*
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (let it soften slightly at room temperature)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
2 cups (12 ounce package) Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl.
2. Beat together brown sugar, granulated sugar, margarine and applesauce in large mixer bowl. Beat in egg whites and vanilla.
3. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto greased baking sheets.
4. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 9 to 10 minutes for a chewy cookie or 12 to 13 minutes for a crispy cookie.
5. Let stand for 2 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
*If you don’t have dark brown sugar on hand, light brown sugar will work.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
This recipe is super easy and great for play dates because kids love them and they are healthier than most cookies.
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar*
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (let it soften slightly at room temperature)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
2 cups (12 ounce package) Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl.
2. Beat together brown sugar, granulated sugar, margarine and applesauce in large mixer bowl. Beat in egg whites and vanilla.
3. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto greased baking sheets.
4. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 9 to 10 minutes for a chewy cookie or 12 to 13 minutes for a crispy cookie.
5. Let stand for 2 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
*If you don’t have dark brown sugar on hand, light brown sugar will work.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
This recipe is super easy and great for play dates because kids love them and they are healthier than most cookies.
Watermelon Cookies

¾ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
½ tsp. almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
red and green gel food coloring
1/3 cup raisins
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. (I used my electric mixer to make dough.) Set aside 1 cup of dough.
2. Tint remaining dough red; shape into a 3 ½ in. log. Wrap in plastic wrap. Tint 1/3 cup of the reserved dough green; wrap in plastic wrap. Wrap remaining plain dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll plain dough into an 8 ½ in. X 3 ½ in. Rectangle. Place red dough log on the end of a short side of the rectangle; roll up. Roll green dough into a 10 in. X 3 ½ in. rectangle. (Don’t worry about exact measurements, just roll until it looks like it will cover the dough log.) Place red and white log on the end of a short side on green dough; roll up. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
4. Unwrap and cut into 3/16-in. slices (just less than ¼ in.). Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cut raisins into small pieces. Lightly press raisin bits and sesame seeds into red dough to resemble watermelon seeds. (I omitted the sesame seeds.)
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 -11 minutes or until firm. Immediately cut cookies in half. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield 3 doz. (I double the recipe)
This recipe came from a Taste of Home Summer Grilling cookbook - one of my favorites! I left the sesame seeds out when I made these so they are an optional ingredient.
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
½ tsp. almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
red and green gel food coloring
1/3 cup raisins
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. (I used my electric mixer to make dough.) Set aside 1 cup of dough.
2. Tint remaining dough red; shape into a 3 ½ in. log. Wrap in plastic wrap. Tint 1/3 cup of the reserved dough green; wrap in plastic wrap. Wrap remaining plain dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll plain dough into an 8 ½ in. X 3 ½ in. Rectangle. Place red dough log on the end of a short side of the rectangle; roll up. Roll green dough into a 10 in. X 3 ½ in. rectangle. (Don’t worry about exact measurements, just roll until it looks like it will cover the dough log.) Place red and white log on the end of a short side on green dough; roll up. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
4. Unwrap and cut into 3/16-in. slices (just less than ¼ in.). Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cut raisins into small pieces. Lightly press raisin bits and sesame seeds into red dough to resemble watermelon seeds. (I omitted the sesame seeds.)
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 -11 minutes or until firm. Immediately cut cookies in half. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield 3 doz. (I double the recipe)
This recipe came from a Taste of Home Summer Grilling cookbook - one of my favorites! I left the sesame seeds out when I made these so they are an optional ingredient.
Buttercream Frosting

You will want to use real butter in this recipe. Don't use margarine. Also, if you buy the stick shortening it will be really easy to measure by cutting the amount that you need from the stick. This is a great all-purpose recipe great for cookies and cake.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions:
1 Cream butter and shortening in mixer. Add vanilla and milk.
2. Slowly mix in powdered sugar until combined then beat at high speed until fluffy.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions:
1 Cream butter and shortening in mixer. Add vanilla and milk.
2. Slowly mix in powdered sugar until combined then beat at high speed until fluffy.