RECIPE DOCTOR
Classic cookie boasts fewer calories

By Elaine Magee

Q. One of my favorite desserts is peanut-butter cookies. Is there a way to cut down on the sugar and the fat? Looking forward to seeing and tasting what you come up with.

A. Peanut-butter cookies are one of the highest calorie cookies around because not only do they have the butter or shortening and sugar, but the peanut butter itself is very high in fat and calories — 95 calories and 8 grams of fat in each tablespoon of peanut butter.

We are going to build a better peanut-butter cookie by adding some smarter carbs — replacing some of the white flour with whole wheat flour and oat bran. We are also decreasing some of the calories by replacing some of the sugar with Splenda. As to fat, in this lighter version we use a lower-fat margarine with a better fatty acid profile and no trans fats (such as Take Control) or less trans fat (Land O Lakes Buttery Spread). Half of the peanut butter also is replaced with soynut butter (available in health food stores).

• Original recipe: contains around 110 calories, 7 grams fat, 2.6 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol and only .5 gram fiber per cookie.

Better Peanut-Butter Cookies

• 1/2 cup no-trans margarine with 8 grams fat per tablespoon
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soynut
• butter (such as I.M. Healthy)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup Splenda
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons fat-free half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup milk or semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a thick cookie sheet with canola cooking spray.

Add margarine, soynut butter, and peanut butter to a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until well blended. Scrape sides of bowl, add Splenda and brown sugar and beat until well blended. Beat in egg substitute, fat-free half-and-half and vanilla.

In 8 cup measure, combine whole wheat flour, oat bran, white flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the peanut-butter mixture just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips if desired.

Use a cookie scoop (1/8 cup) to place dough on prepared cookie sheet. Flatten the dough balls slightly with your fingers. Bake about 8 minutes or until lightly browned but still chewy. Cool cookies on wire rack.

Makes 30 (2 1/2-inch) cookies.

Per cookie: 82 calories, 2.5 g protein, 7.5 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fat (.5 g saturated fat, 2.3 g monounsaturated fat, 1.7 g polyunsaturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 119 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 49 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids Not available. Omega-6 fatty acids Not available. Weight Watchers 2 points.

Elaine Magee is author of "The Recipe Doctor Cookbook" and "The Flax Cookbook." Readers may reach her through her Web site at www.recipedoctor.com. Personal responses can't be provided. This column is distributed by Knight Ridder News Service.