Cheap and Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

The way the economy has been lately, we are all pinching pennies and looking for fun and cheap things to do. Why not get in the kitchen and do some cooking! Cooking your own food is healthy, cheaper than eating out, and a great way to re-connect with the ones you love. Even if you don't think you can cook, give it a try and you might be surprised. Cookies are a great way to start, and making them at home save a buck or two and are a wonderful family activity.

There aren't many ingredients to traditional cookies and the items already may be in your pantry. Cookies are a great comfort food and make your house smell fantastic while they are cooking. Kids of all ages can help make cookies. They can be part of measuring, adding ingredients, and stirring the mix. You can turn the process into a math lesson discussing the concept of measurement, or improve your child's senses by experimenting with smelling and tasting ingredients with their eyes closed! Baking cookies can turn into a wonderful way to spend the afternoon with your family.

Many cookie recipes include lots of sugar and butter - that's what makes them so good, but it doesn't create a healthy treat for you. By changing a few of the basic ingredients, you can have healthier cookies and still enjoy the traditional taste of chocolate chip cookies. Here is a recipe that makes around 20 cookies that taste great and cut back on the ingredients that pack on the pounds!

3/4 c room temperature butter

1/4 c vegetable oil

1Tablespoon honey

2/3 c sugar

2/3 c brown sugar

1 Tablespoon plain yogurt

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

dash of salt

1 bag of chocolate chips

1 1/4 c whole-wheat flour

1 c white flour

2 c oats

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Start out by mixing room temperature butter, oil, honey, yogurt, vanilla, and sugars in a bowl. Use a hand mixer on high for 1 minute or stir well by hand. The mix will look nice and smooth, and a little fluffy. Add in eggs and mix again for about 30 seconds with a hand mixer on high, or until incorporated well if mixing by hand. Add in the flour 1/2 c at a time and mix well by hand. Keep mixing until all flour is added. Add in the oats and stir. Mix in the chocolate chips and get ready to bake.

You can line your baking sheet with parchment paper or put them directly on a lightly greased pan. Use a big spoon and scoop out the mix onto your pan and then press them down with the back of the spoon. The cookies wont spread much, so you can put them fairly close together. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until as brown and crispy as you like. Let cool and eat!

By reducing the amount of sugar and butter, it helps create a healthier cookie. By adding oats and whole-wheat flour, you get a good amount of fiber. If you don't like oats, this recipe will change your mind! You really don't taste them at all, but they create the needed texture and a bit of crunch around the edges of the cookie. These cookies are light and fluffy, but crisp and chewy - the perfect combination if you ask me!

If you are looking for something to do this afternoon with your family, try making these cookies! You will feel good doing something together, and knowing the cookies aren't full of sugar and butter wont make you feel guilty about eating a couple of them