Chocolate-Cherry Heart Smart Cookies

 

So, I'll be honest.  Before I made this recipe, I was skeptical about how good they would taste- the recipe being from Cooking Light and all.  But I decided to trust the good ole' CL and take a whim at healthy, good-for-you cookies.  What's so good about them?  Whole wheat flour. + oatmeal= fiber. Dried cherries that contain antioxidants.  Low-fat.

 

I'm ALL about the healthy stuff.  I AM health queen after all... ;) And one taste of this cookie dough reaffirmed every notion I had that tells me to stop making decadent, guilty desserts altogether because you can have AMAZING healthy desserts like THIS!!  Seriously, I couldn't stop eating the dough.  Probably defeats the purpose of making healthier treats when you can't stop eating them.  But let's face it: I can't stop eating cookie dough no matter what if it's healthy or not.  So if you look at it that way then I definitely scored one.  Or several...

 

These taste just like a delicious oatmeal chocolate cookie with chunks of dried cherries in them... soo good!  I brought them to my Primary class at church (my husband and I teach the 6 year olds) and they LOVED them.  Said they were the best cookies they'd ever had.  One little boy even asked for the recipe. HAHA I thought that was the cutest thing ever!

So there you have it!  These are a winner and you should be making them in about 5.42 seconds! :)

Chocolate-Cherry Heart Smart Cookies

• 1 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 1/2 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
• 2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.
• 3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; add brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add cherries, vanilla, and egg; beat until combined. Fold in chocolate. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Cool on pans 3 minutes or until almost firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.