"Healthy" Cookies!

My daughter, Maya, loves to bake with Mommy. So, I decided to find a recipe we could use that would be a healthier alternative. I had bought Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, quite a while ago but hadn't used it yet. I looked through and found a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies with a secret ingredient-chickpeas. My kids love chickpeas anyway, so I figured they would like them. I think this picture will show you what Maya thought of the cookies...

And this:

Here is Suri thinking she isn't so sure about them:

Hmmm...not so bad!

Here is a (horrible!) picture of the cookies:

I'm going to bring some in to work tomorrow to experiment! Anand will also bring some in and let me know if everyone liked them. They are REALLY good.

Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

Nonstick Cooking Spray (I didn't use this since I have silpat mats)
1 Cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3/4 Cup trans-fat-free soft tub butter spread (I used Brummel & Brown which is made with yogurt)

2 large egg whites

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

2 Cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate)

3/4 Cups chopped walnuts

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1/2 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter spread on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the chickpeas & chocolate chips. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.

3. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful (I used a melon baller) onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Press gently with a fork to flatten. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and just set-11-13 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Transfer to a rack and cool.

4. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.