Peanut Butter Cookies - Light Recipe

On average, low-carb, low-sugar and reduced-fat varieties of peanut butter will reduce the fat grams to 6 fat grams per tablesoon from 8 fat grams if you want to go that route. They will also reduce each cookie by 20 calories but sometimes you sacrifice the peanut butter "zing" using the reduced varieties. Cooks.com used Skippy peanut butter and found that this produced the "best" cookie for taste.

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.