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This is a cookie you can feel really good about
eating!

supremely good for you cookies!

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
4 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bar dark chocolate (one square to top each cookie!)

In a stand mixer, beat butter until soft, then add sugar,
vanilla and eggs.  Follow with dry ingredients, ending
with bag of chips.  Place the mixture in the fridge or freezer
for 10-15 minutes (this will keep the cookies rounded shape
while baking).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place a sheet of
foil or parchment paper on baking pan.  Scoop out dough
with a soup spoon and use your hands to form a ball.  Place
balls of dough (I make 8 or 9 per batch) on baking sheet,
then top each with a square of dark chocolate.  Bake in the
middle of the oven for 20-22 minutes.  I set the timer for
20 minutes, then maybe bake as long as 6 more minutes,
checking after each minute or two.  Let cool on a rack, then
place each cookie in a baggie to keep fresh.  Enjoy!

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-2 cups m&ms

I put the butter, both sugars and vanilla in my kitchen aid mixing bowl and cream together until fluffy, then add the egg and yolk.  Continue mixing, add the flour, baking soda and powder and mix well on low speed.   Add chocolate chips, mix until blended.  If time permits, cover and place in the refrigerator.  It seems to give the cookies a better shape when baking.  However, when in a hurry go  straight to the oven!  I put a piece of parchment paper, foil or a silpat on a large, heavy baking sheet, then scoop out a large spoonful of dough and form a ball  using my hands (depending on my mood, the recipe makes 8 – 10 cookies!)  Now for the really fun part – put a handful of m&ms on top of each ball of dough and bake for 22-24 minutes in the middle of a 350 degree oven.  (start checking on the cookies at 20 minutes, then keep adding 2 minutes until cookies are a little brown around the edges.)  Place cookie sheet on a rack to cool.  Enjoy!  (for smaller cookies, reduce baking time to 12-15 minutes).

You need to have something good at the end of the day,  and it might as well be dessert!  Some people tell me that they eat really well during the day, then go overboard at night, grazing aimlessly through their  pantry and fridge.   Replace this behavior with a green light for a real piece of dessert.  Knowing that you can have something delicious at the end of the day will help you stick to a  ”healthier” eating plan during the day.

Last night I had a huge chocolate chip cookie after dinner, and it was very satisfying.  By giving myself permission to have a generous portion of dessert, I get to have what I really want, and it  is easy to end the “eating” part of my day there.  It takes a little planning.  Somehow waiting until after dinner and scrounging through the pantry or freezer for some dessert I don’t even like won’t cut it. Think about what sounds good to you, and then make that stop at the bakery on the way home from work, class or running the kids to soccer practice.  Don’t deprive yourself.  Deprivation left unattended will just end up biting  you in the “you know where”!  And we don’t want that, so make time to take care of yourself, and for me that means making dessert!  One of my favorite recipes is chocolate chip m&m cookies.  See following blog.