Chewy Lowfat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Pecans

Today is a double challenge day!

First it’s part of my series of 31 Days of Warmer Connections. Every day in October, I am blogging about connections through food.

Second, I made these lovely cookies as part of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE that Tina from Mom’s Crazy Cooking is hosting. There are over 65 food bloggers that will be blogging about chocolate chip cookies today–but the catch is they have to make another food blogger’s recipe. I SO want to thank Tina for taking the time to organize this and for all the reminder emails. You did such a great job of keeping us all on track! I am really excited to see what the rest of the bloggers come up with — and to meet new foodie friends who participated in this event. And to see whose recipe each one chose to make!

And so the second challenge fits in SO nicely with the first! Think of how many wonderful foodie connections this will create! Please go check out all the fun recipes and vote for your favorites!

I wanted to make something healthy, so I chose a chocolate chip cookie recipe from one of my favorite “skinny” bloggers: Gina’s Skinny Taste. She also has a pumpkin version of this recipe that I really wanted to make … BUT I had no pumpkin. So I went with the applesauce version.

The only thing I would warn you on these is don’t overcook the cookies. The first batch I cooked for 10 minutes and they just didn’t have the right texture and chew factor. The second batch I took out at about 8 minutes, a little before they really looked “done”– and after cooling for a bit, they were just perfect!

Skinny Low-fat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Pecans

One of Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes

The only changes I made was to add  a tish more salt and toasted pecans. I just really wanted nuts with my chocolate today. I made some plain chocolate chip cookies, then added the pecans to the batter, and I think the pecan ones were SO much better. The chewy cookie with the melty chocolate then add a little pecan crunch–it is really nice. Since I did make a couple changes, I am not listing the points and nutrition information that Gina included with her recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp cinnamon apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Line two cookie sheets with non-stick silicone baking liners or lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and stir to blend. In another bowl, whisk the sugars, butter, egg white, applesauce and vanilla together until light and fluffy. (I mixed the wet ingredients first, then just mixed in the dry ingredients.)
3. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out.
4. Fold in chocolate chips and toasted nuts.
5. Drop by level spoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets.
6. Bake 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let them stand 5 minutes before removing the cookies from the pans to cool on wire racks.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Adapted from Cooking Done Light.

Vote for your favorite cookies! (This one is entry #72 in the Crazy Cooking Challenge.)

This recipe was also shared at Life Scoops Cookie Party.