Go Ahead; Make These, They’re Lower In Fat

Cutting fat in cookies can be tough, but not impossible.

In most recipes, butter, margarine or shortening are major ingredients, giving the cookies their texture, flavor and crunch. But in this streamlined recipe for delicious Low-Fat Oatmeal Date Crispies, the fat has been cut by half without robbing the cookies of flavor or texture.

The original recipe for Oatmeal Crispies called for a cup of butter-flavored shortening, two eggs and walnuts. The streamlined recipe calls for 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup canola oil, two egg whites and no walnuts.

In the light recipe, the oats and flour are ground together briefly in a blender or food processor to give the cookies a crisper, more delicate texture. While the original recipe contained 119 calories and 5.2 grams of fat per cookie, the new recipe for Low-Fat Oatmeal Date Crispies has 86 calories and 2.3 grams of fat per cookie.

For best results, bake cookies on insulated sheets, which help keep the cookie bottoms tender and prevent burning. To minimize cleanup, line the cookie sheets with baking parchment. Both are available in kitchenware stores.

Low-Fat Oatmeal Date Crispies

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups flour

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 cup chopped dates

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar; the mixture will appear dry. Beat in the canola oil, egg whites and vanilla until the mixture becomes slightly soupy. Turn off the mixer.

In a blender or food processor, combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Grind until the oats are in small pieces.

Gradually beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, alternating with the skim milk. Stir in the dates.

Drop the batter by tablespoons on cookie sheets. (You can keep the batter from sticking to the spoon or your fingers by dipping them in cold water.) Bake 10 to 12 minutes, removing the cookies from the oven when they are slightly underbaked. Cool on the baking sheets before removing them to racks to cool.

Yield: 48 cookies.

Nutrition information per cookie: 86 calories, 2.3 grams fat (24 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 16 grams carbohydrate, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 74 milligrams sodium.

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