A Cookie For You & A Cookie For Me

So not only have I not been able to bake lately, since this semester is a full load, but I am seriously sad about it. =( There is something magical about whipping up a creation in the kitchen and being able to share it with the world of bloggers. I am so thankful for the slew of other bloggers I check out daily, because thankfully a handful can keep up with cooking/baking/and delivering ideas to those of us who cannot at the moment. I seriously can't wait to get my own apartment so I can have my own kitchen! A community kitchen is ok for awhile, until it gets extremely messy to the point where you don't even want to enter, and resort to cooking things in the microwave in your dorm. Can anyone relate? If you can't, don't worry your lucky. But it's all part of the college experience I suppose. Another thing I forgot to mention--on Friday the fire alarm went off at 2 am!!! Of course it was the coldest night here[[-30 below zero]] and we all had to shuffle outside in our pj's and slippers and stand in the cold for a half hour. Not my exact idea of a "fun night". Even worse, it turned out the cause was people smoking cigarettes. Yuck!

But enough about that, lets bring about a happy topic. =) Chocolate chip cookies anyone? I recently came across an article in Woman's World magazine that claims they scoured the experts on the perfect chocolate chip cook for anyone. Let's see if you agree shall we?

• If you want a super crunchy standout: Tate's Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies http://tatesbakeshop.com/store/


• If you want soft, chewy yumness: Pepperidge Farm Soft Baked Dark Chocolate Chunk http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/


• If you want a nutty indulgence: Ruby et Violette Nutty Cookies http://www.rubyetviolette.com/


• If you want some gluten free goodies: Pamela's Simplebites Mini Cookies http://www.pamelasproducts.com/


• If you want chocolate-meets PB bliss: Dancing Deer Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies http://www.dancingdeer.com/

And what is my favorite you ask? Well I like to resort to homemade of course, and I actually prefer the healthy route on this one. These are a guilt-free and delish indulgence. Please try them!

Recipe: Courtesy of Hungry Girl

Chippity Doo Dah Cookies Ingredients: 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour 1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated) 6 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin 1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters) 2 1/2 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 tbsp. brown sugar, not packed 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. baking soda & 1/8 tsp.salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips (flour, Splenda, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt). Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together all wet ingredients (applesauce, pumpkin, egg substitute, and vanilla extract). Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir until completely blended. Then, fold in the chocolate chips. Spray a large baking pan with nonstick spray, and spoon batter into 8 evenly spaced circles. Place pan in the oven for about 10 minutes (until cookies appear done and feel firm). Remove pan from the oven and allow cookies to cool slightly. For best results, enjoy while the cookies are still warm and the chips are still melty! Makes 8 Servings!

Stats: Serving Size: 1 medium-sized cookie (about 1.5 oz.) Calories: 88 Fat: 1.5g Sodium: 93mg Carbs: 17g Fiber: 2g Sugars: 6g Protein: 3g