Skinnygirl Cookies

Do you all know who the 'Skinnygirl' is?  Because this is her recipe.  She's one of the stars of the Real Housewives of New York City - Bethenny Frankel.  I like her.  I like watching Real Housewives (although for whatever reason I don't watch Atlanta or New Jersey).  The Stallion hates the show.  I mean, HATES it.  He absolutely cannot stand to watch it.  He'll be a good sport for pretty much any other girly show but the Real Housewives.  So I DVR it and watch usually on the at least one night a week that he's working late.  Sometimes we'll even (gasp) split up and he'll go watch TV or read upstairs.

Bethenny's a natural food chef and has made her claim to fame on reinventing the way one goes about dieting.  Her books 'Naturally Thin' and 'Skinnygirl Dish' document this new way of thinking.  I have yet to purchase either, but really want to hear what she has to say.  'Skinnygirl Dish' is mainly recipes for comfort-type foods that use smart replacements.  So you satisfy the craving without undoing everything you've worked so hard for.  The recipe for these cookies is in the book, I believe.  She posted the recipe to her facebook page, which is how I got my grubby little paws on them.

They're oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.  Even The Stallion enjoys them.  I'm sure both of us would love a 'real' cookie even more, but these cookies definitely do their job.  They're low in sugar and fat, and high in protein.  (That's my own nutritional evaluation based on what's in them, so don't believe everything you read.)

It's important you use natural peanut butter.  As in, 'Ingredients:  Peanuts' peanut butter.  You know - real peanut butter.  It's made up of ground up peanuts.  And that is all.  No sugar.  No preservatives.  If you don't want to mess with natural peanut butter, I'd hesitate to use as much sugar as the recipe calls for, if any sugar at all.

 I can't mix natural peanut butter without making a mess.  It's the way it is.  I should have stored the jar upside down.  I'm sure I still would have run out of room and made a mess none-the-less.

Skinnygirl Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:

• ¾ cup oats
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ¼ cup soymilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, mix together ingredients. Stir well until all ingredients are combined. Use a 3 oz. ice cream scoop to drop batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Press cookies to flatten slightly.  Bake for 23 minutes, rotating the cookies at around 12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheet before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.