Chocolate Chip Cookies Low Fat ATK

By mariannefeldman

http://www.cooking.com/recipes-and-more/recDetail.aspx?rid=14298&add=added#axzz3ELm8hsgW

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pitted dates
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups packed (8 3/4 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

Step 1

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: America's Test Kitchen
Makes 18 cookies

Cutting the fat and calories in chocolate chip cookies while ending up with a treat we’d still want to eat wasn’t as easy as just reducing the amount of butter -- this move left our cookies hard as rocks after they cooled. After trying a barrage of “healthy” substitutes, from applesauce to mashed bananas, we landed on homemade date puree, made from cooking and mashing dried dates. After replacing three-quarters of the butter in our favorite full-fat recipe with date puree, we were greeted with moist cookies boasting a rich, sweet flavor. Browning the butter also added depth to our reduced-fat cookies, and pressing a few of the chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies made it look as though they were chock-full of chocolate. Our revamped chocolate chip cookies looked as good as they tasted, and thanks to our butter substitute they were flavorful and tender for days, not hours. Be sure to buy dates that are still supple.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Bring water and dates to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce to simmer and cook until dates are tender and most of water has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Using rubber spatula, press mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl to make date puree. Scrape any dates left in strainer into puree (you should have 1/4 cup puree).

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat and cook until nutty brown, about 4 minutes; transfer to small bowl and let cool.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in bowl.
Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat date puree, browned butter, and sugar on medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes.
Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture until just incorporated.
Give batter final stir by hand, then stir in all but 2 tablespoons chocolate chips.

Orig recipe: Working with 2 tablespoons dough at a time, roll into balls, then tear each ball in half and press halves back together with torn side facing up
Space cookies, torn side up, about 2 inches apart on prepared sheets, 9 cookies per sheet - - I dropped cookies onto baking sheet using 1 1/2 tbs ice scream scoop instead & flattened them slightly - did not tear & or reshape
Press reserved 2 tablespoons chocolate chips evenly into tops of cookies.

Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until edges are light golden brown and centers are soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.

Recipe reprinted by permission of America's Test Kitchen. All rights reserved.