Recipe: Brink's Nutty Oatmeal Chocolate Chippers (using Splenda)

Hi Cathy -

I haven't tried this recipe - it uses both Splenda and some brown sugar. It is the $1000 first prize winner in the lower calorie category of the recent Quaker oats/Blue Bonnet Ultimate Oatmeal Cookie contest.

Brink's Nutty Oatmeal Chocolate Chippers
Recipe by: Stacy Brinkerhoff of Lake Alfred, Fla.

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) Blue Bonnet 65% vegetable oil spread
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup Splenda brand sweetener
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups Quaker Oats
(quick or old fashioned, uncooked)*
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, regular or mini
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

*If using old fashioned oats, add 2 tablespoons flour.

Heat oven to 350F.

In large bowl, beat spread, brown sugar and Splenda on medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add combined flour, wheat germ, baking soda and salt; beat well. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts; mix well.

Drop dough by level measuring tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; transfer to wire racks. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

MAKES ABOUT 5 DOZEN

Baker's Notes:
1 egg and 2 egg whites may be substituted for 2 whole eggs.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: 2 cookies
Calories 120, Calories From Fat 60, Total Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 1.5g, Cholesterol 15mg,
Sodium 120mg, Total Carbohydrates 14g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Protein 2g.

I made a rather tasty bar cookie for this contest (but have misplaced the recipe) - it uses mainly Splenda but a wee bit of brown sugar - I think it was called Ginger Peachy Oatmeal Squares - something like that (too lazy to go back and look at the list on their site).

I've found that the Splenda site has some good tips about what we should do when altering our recipes ... in some instances we have to beat/mix longer and so on. If the recipe I'm altering calls for brown sugar, molasses or honey - I usually put a wee bit in along with the Splenda just to get the 'taste'. And if a recipe calls for 1 cup sugar -- I would usually use less of Splenda. I've found it works much better for some things than for others.

Good luck.