In search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie

The title of this blog is a little misleading because I already discovered the perfect chocolate chip cookie about 19 years ago when I was in seminary in Israel. Every erev Shabbos I used to go to the (now sadly defunct) "Croissanterie" bakery in Jerusalem and buy a bag of their white chocolate chip and double chocolate chip varieties. They were meant to last the whole weekend but were inevitably all gone by the end of the evening - I dread to think how many propoints I must've been consuming in one fell swoop there!

Since then I have had an abiding love for chocolate chip cookies (who doesn't?!) and was pleased to see a recipe for a propoints friendly version on the Weight Watchers website. Always keen to get more for less though, I've adapted the recipe quite a bit - my cookies are bigger, for less points, and I use white chocolate chips and cranberries (because that's the sort of thing the Croissanterie would have done).

These are super easy to make and they store beautifully in a tupperware container. I'm sure they can be frozen as well, but I've never tried because they just don't last long enough...

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP AND CRANBERRY COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

50g low fat spread
4 tablespoons sugar-free applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
A good pinch of salt
200g plain flour
0.5 tsp baking powder
20g splenda
2 medium eggs
70g white chocolate chips
80g dried cranberries

Cream the spread, applesauce and splenda and stir in the vanilla, salt and beaten egg. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Finish by folding in the cranberries and chocolate chips.

Drop heaped teaspoons onto baking trays covered with baking parchment, leaving space between each cookie. Bake in an oven preheated to 170' (or 190' for non-fan assisted ovens). Cool on the trays for about 2 minutes and then remove with a spatula.

Makes 24 cookies (2pp each).