Whole Wheat Oatmeal Granola Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Walnuts

I have been craving cookies for a long time and hadn't baked any cookies in forever, it seems.  I have seem many yummy recipes across the blogoshere. However, I had a physical recently with a cholesterol test, and mine came back at 226, last year it was 190.  How can that be? I am 5' 3 1/2 " tall and weigh 111 lbs We eat low fat low sodium, because of my husband's bypass. I was stymied, for sure. What could be causing the rise in my cholesterol this past year?

My lifestyle and diet hasn't changed over the year, except I stopped eating oatmeal for the summer. However, I am a year older, and my Mom's cholesterol was 300, had two heart attacks, and my dad had a heart attack at 83 with a subsequent bypass, so heart disease runs in the family. I do have trouble doing cardio, due to my nerve damage, but I try to do Pilates.  Now, I didn't have blog until the latter part of last year.  Do you think that having a blog can raise your cholesterol?  Have I been eating way too many carbs?  When I bake something, I try to give away most of what I bake. Now, I am really looking at the carbs, as well as the fat and protein in foods. Would I ever be able to eat cookies, cakes, muffins, again?

As fate or karma would have it, shortly after my blood test I won Claudia@Blogs got Heart, giveaway, and these two books landed on my porch.

Somebody or something was sending me a message.  Thank you again Claudia.  I certainly got a wake up call,  I thought that I had been eating healthy, but evidently that wasn't the case. Now, I have three months to lower my cholesterol, or take the meds. Now, I'm eating oatmeal again, trying to do cardio, and watching my carbs and dairy. Also, much to my husband's chagrin, I'm adding more whole grains into our diet.   (He's already on the meds for high cholesterol.) I'll let you know, how it's going.

Now back to the cookies.  As I was looking through Joy Bauer's book, Slim and Scrumptious, I saw a recipe for Soft Oatmeal cookies with Cherries and Chocolate. It had too many carbs, so I modified the recipe. The recipe called for 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 AP flour, and I used all whole wheat flour. I also used Egg Beaters in place of the eggs, Splenda Brown Sugar for the regular brown sugar, dark chocolate for the semi sweet chocolate and walnuts for the dried cherries. The recipe also used rolled oats, applesauce, and only 1 Tbsp canola oil. These Granola Cookies, turned out so well, not overly sweet, chocked full of dark chocolate, and walnuts with vitamins.  These would be a good, healthy, breakfast cookie or snack with a glass of Almond milk. You could also sub mashed banana for the applesauce, and add peanut butter.  I think that I'll try that next time. I made larger cookies and some smaller. Even my husband liked them, and he usually doesn't like "healthy foods."

This recipe makes about 32 cookies, I think.  The reason I don't know is because I had a cookie thief in my midst. Does she look like a cookie thief? Bailey?

 Oh Yah, she was the culprit. When I went to take a picture of the cookies, I left the cooling rack with the rest of the cookies, too close to the edge of the counter, and she grabbed a few, I believe.

Now, Here is the recipe for these yummy cookies, enjoy!

 Whole Wheat Oatmeal Granola Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Walnuts Makes 32
Adapted from Slim and Scrumptious by Joy Bauer




11⁄2 cups quick- cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats
1  cup whole wheat flour
1 ⁄4  c Splenda brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 ⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt- I didn't add
1 ⁄3 cup  dark chocolate chips 60% cacao
1 ⁄2 cup walnuts
1 ⁄2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 egg whites, lightly beaten, or ½  c Eggbeaters
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat one or two baking sheets with oil spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, whole wheat  flour, Splenda. baking powder, baking soda, and salt until the ingredients are evenly
distributed. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts, and stir to combine.
3. In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, canola oil, egg whites, and vanilla
extract, stirring until smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the applesauce mixture. Stir until just combined
and no streaks of flour remain.
5. Drop scant tablespoons or teaspoons of cookie dough onto the baking sheets, and press them lightly with your fingers to flatten the cookies slightly. (To prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers, dip your fingers in water before pressing
on the cookies.)
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies start to turn golden brown at
the edges. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes; then transfer
them to a wire rack to cool completely.  (Watch you dog!) Store in an airtight container.