Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's hard to imagine anyone who doesn't like "Chocolate Chip Cookies" (page 428), but even when you discover that making them vegan is ridiculously easy, you still have to be careful not to eat an entire batch in one sitting! The challenge with most recipes for vegan cookies is figuring out how to get around the added oil or margarine. This particular recipe calls for an entire cup of margarine, which equates to around 176 grams of fat (gulp!) and over 1500 extra calories. Not to mention, even vegan margarine or shortening is still not health food, and is something I try to minimize. In this recipe, I decided to use a blend of 2/3 cup peanut butter and 1/3 cup applesauce. Not that peanut butter is low-fat by any means, but 2/3 cup only adds 86 grams of fat and around 1000 calories, significantly less than margarine, and adds nutrients such as fiber, protein, and carbohydrates.  But what did I say about being careful about eating too many cookies in one sitting? This still hold true regardless! The peanut butter definitely adds a distinctive flavor to these cookies (which I really liked), and cookies made without butter or margarine definitely have more of a cakey nature than a crunchy cookie, but they are certainly no less delicious! This recipe does not include any "extras" such as walnuts or raisins, just your basic cookie ingredients - flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, etc.

 

Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

• Substitute the one cup of margarine with a blend of 2/3 cup peanut butter and 1/3 cup applesauce.
• Use whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose (white) flour.
• Instead of oiling the baking sheet, use a non-stick pan, parchment paper, or a silicone product.