Oatmeal-Pecan Snack Cookies

Prep: 20 min., Bake: 14 min. per batch, Cool: 10 min. These nutritious cookies are great with a cup of cold low-fat milk for breakfast on the go. Store them in zip-top plastic freezer bags in the freezer for up to one month.

Yield: Makes about 4 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

Ingredients

• 1 3/4  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4  teaspoons  pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/4  cup  butter, softened
• 6  ounces  reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2  cups  firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2  cup  egg substitute
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 3  cups  uncooked regular oats
• 3/4  cup  dried cherries
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1/2  cup  chopped pecans

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda.

2. Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in oats and dried cherries.

3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray; gently flatten dough into circles. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. chopped pecans onto each dough circle, gently pressing into dough.

4. Bake, in batches, at 350° for 13 to 14 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove cookies from baking sheets to wire racks, and let cool 10 minutes.

Carrot-Oatmeal-Pecan Snack Cookies: Prepare dough as directed through Step 2, stirring in 2 grated carrots with oats and cherries. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Per cookie: Calories 99; Fat 2.7g (sat 1.3g, mono 0.9g, poly 0.5g); Protein 2.1g; Carb 16.1g; Fiber 1g; Chol 5mg; Iron 0.7mg; Sodium 70mg; Calc 18mg.

Chocolate-Oatmeal-Pecan Snack Cookies: Prepare cookies as directed through Step 4. Break 4 (0.87-oz.) dark chocolate bars into pieces. Microwave chocolate pieces in a small microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 45 seconds to 1 minute or until melted and smooth, stirring at 15-second intervals. Spoon chocolate into a small zip-top plastic bag. Snip 1 corner of bag with scissors to make a tiny hole. Drizzle chocolate onto cookies. Let stand 1 hour or until set.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used CocoaVia Original Chocolate Bars.

Per cookie: Calories 109; Fat 3.1g (sat 1.7g, mono 0.9g, poly 0.5g); Protein 2.2g; Carb 17.1g; Fiber 1.1g; Chol 5mg; Iron 0.8mg; Sodium 68mg; Calc 17mg.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

97 (0.0% from fat)

Fat:

2.6g (sat 1.2g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

2g

Carbohydrate:

16g

Fiber:

1g

Cholesterol:

4mg

Iron:

0.7mg

Sodium:

68mg

Calcium:

17mg