Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is no doubt that chocolate chip cookies are the favorite cookie in our household. The recipe I used was usually the one on the back of the bag of chocolate chips. One day I decided that if we were going to continue to consume so many cookies, I needed to find a 'healthier' chocolate chip recipe with less fat and sugar. Eventually I came across a recipe on a Land O Lakes butter package and kept tweaking it until I came up with a little healthier cookie without sacrificing the taste. Here is the tweaked recipe I use now:

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 1/4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and applesauce. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat gradually adding flour mixture, until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until light golden brown. (Do NOT over bake). Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Removed from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.
Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Tip:
Fresh baked cookies on the spur of the moment! Make this dough, put it in a plastic tub and freeze it. When you want to bake a few cookies, remove tub from freezer and let thaw for 10-15 minutes. Use an ice cream scoop and scoop dough from tub, round into balls, and bake as directed above. Put remaining dough back into the freezer to use for your next warm cookie craving!

It may be midnight, but it's never to late to Break an Egg!