So uh… yes. It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything new here due to the precious new little guy that has entered into our family’s life. Valid excuse? I think so. It’s been a real joy having a new baby in the home again. What hasn’t been a real joy is trying to lose all the baby weight–again. Especially when I love treats and had developed a habit of indulging in them regularly towards the end of the pregnancy. (You can do that when you’re pregnant.) But now I’m just supposed to kick that habit cold turkey?? Help!

Well, thankfully I know a recipe or two for some healthier treats (i.e. the Bean Cookies) and have been able to work on shedding some pounds while still satisfying my sweet tooth. *whew!* I’ve even tweaked the Bean Cookie recipe to make it even more healthy, and now I seriously don’t have an issue with eating these cookies as a snack or just whenever I please. (And the weight still comes off!) So here is my new recipe for what I like to call my Skinny Jean Cookies (not that you will EVER see me in skinny jeans) …and yes! It’s Food Storage!

Skinny Jean Cookies

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Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz) can white beans (I like to use Great Northern or Navy), drained and rinsed
• 1½ cups sugar (white or brown… your preference)
• 5 eggs (or 10 Tbsp egg powder and 15-20 Tbsp water)
• ¼-½ cup applesauce (I just scoop in two big spoonfuls… probably close to 1/3 cup)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4½ cups whole wheat flour (can use half all-purpose if you’re not used to whole wheat)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1¼ cups dried cranberries (i.e. Craisins)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Place your drained and rinsed beans in a large bowl (I use my KitchenAid stand mixer), and using a fork, mash them down till they’re creamy and non-recognizable as a bean. Add the sugar and cream them together (you can use your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment now), then add the eggs, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix.
3. Add the flour (a little at a time to prevent flour flying everywhere), baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well blended.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
5. Drop the dough by small, rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. (Note: These cookies do not spread when baked, so you can pack them pretty close together on the cookie sheet.)
6. Bake 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of the cookie), but DO NOT over bake these. They will not turn golden when done, so try testing them with a light touch on the top of the cookie. They should be barely firm to the touch and will set up more as they cool. (My optimal cooking time for me was 11 minutes.)
7. Remove baked cookies from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store at room temperature in an airtight container. (Or you can freeze them for later.)
8. Enjoy your healthy cookies!

Yields 4-5 dozen cookies.