Posted on: Wednesday, October 20, 2004
RECIPE DOCTOR
A delicious cookie with fall written all over it
By Elaine Magee
Q. Around this time of year, Noah's (a Northern California/Pacific Northwest bagel chain) sells white chocolate chunk pumpkin cookies that are so delicious. Can you make up a light pumpkin cookie recipe that I can make year-round?
The idea of using white chocolate chunks in pumpkin cookies may sound a bit odd at first. But think beyond the chocolate chip bag and try it — it will be love at first bite.
With a featured ingredient like nutrient-rich pumpkin, I wanted to keep these cookies as healthful as possible. I have taken the sweetener down a peg and switched to a no-trans margarine with 8 grams of fat per tablespoon. I also replaced half of the unbleached white flour with whole-wheat. The pecan halves are optional, but they add a nice touch in the center of each cookie.
A similar original recipe contains 150 calories, 9 g fat, and 5.3 g saturated fat per cookie.
PUMPKIN SPICE WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat cookie sheet with canola cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, beat sugar, brown sugar, margarine and honey until light and fluffy.
Add pumpkin, vanilla and egg and beat until blended.
In a separate bowl, stir flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt to blend. Add flour mix all at once to pumpkin mixture, and beat on low until blended (scraping sides of bowl midway). Stir in chocolate chunks or chips.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheet. Press pecan half in the center of each cookie or flatten each cookie slightly with your fingers (it will be a little sticky). Bake about 11 to 12 minutes. Remove cookies from sheet and cool on wire rack.
Makes 28 large cookies.
• Per cookie (without pecans): 112 calories, 2 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat (1.4 g saturated fat, 1.2 g monounsaturated fat, 1.4 g polyunsaturated fat), 9 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 9 mg cholesterol, 115 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 32 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids .4 g. Omega-6 fatty acids 1 g. Weight Watchers points: 2. Elaine Magee is the author of "The Change of Life Diet and Cookbook." Reach her through www.recipedoctor.com. Personal responses cannot be provided. This column is distributed by the Knight Ridder News Service.
A. Throughout the holiday season, we inevitably have a cup of canned pumpkin hanging around after making a loaf of pumpkin bread or a pumpkin pie or two. Here's a way to use that cup of pumpkin with pleasure.
