The best light recipe for peanut butter cookies, but best to use dry-roasted salted peanuts. If you are concerned about sodium content, you can substitute reduced-salt or unsalted peanuts. For the cookies to bake properly though, bake 1 tray at a time!  I found this recipe in cooks.com The Best Light Recipe cookbook and as a review, give it 5 thumbs up!  Great recipes and worth the purchase!

Makes 24.

Excellent freezing cookies!

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups (6-1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup packed (7 ounces) dark brown sugar (substitute light brown)
• 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter or use creamy and change nuts below
• 1/4 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts, chopped coarse but you can try adding another kind of nut for a different taste such as walnuts or hazelnuts

Preparation

• Adjust oven rack to middle position of oven and heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in medium bowl, set aside.
• In large bowl, whisk butter, egg, and vanilla together.
• Stir in the brown sugar and peanut butter until smooth, smearing any remaining clumps against the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Stir in the flour mixture and peanuts until thoroughly combined.
• Working with a level tablespoon of dough at a time, roll the dough into 1-inch balls. (If the dough is too soft to roll, refrigerate until firm)
• Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets spacing them about 2-1/2 inches apart. (You will fit 12 cookies on each baking sheet)
• Bake the cookies, 1 tray at a time until the edges are light golden and the centers are just set (11-13 minutes) rotating the tray halfway through baking. (Do not overbake)
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then serve warm or transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.

• Cal 90
• Fat 3.5 g
• Sat fat 1.5 g
• Cholesterol 15 mg
• Carb 14 g
• Protein 2 g
• Fiber 0 g
• Sodium 45 mg

Makes 36

These are supposedly 70 calories - but I cannot figure out the 1/2 to 1 cup margarine! I would think at the most it should be 1/2 cup and it is a misprint!

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2-1 cup margarine
• 1/3 cup sugar (or sugar substitute like Splenda)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup rolled oats

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine flour and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.
• In separate bowl, using a mixer, lightly beat margarine until soft.
• Then add dry ingredients (sugar and brown sugar) and peanut butter.
• Beat until smooth, scraping edges as necessary.
• Add in egg whites and vanilla and mix well.
• Now add the flour mixture and beat slowly.
• Fold in oats with a spatula.
• Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper).
• These cookies do not spread much so you can put them fairly close together.
• Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown.