Chocolate Mint Cookies

From the "All New Cooking Light Complete Cookbook" 2006, page 157...these taste just like the GS Thin Mints, only chewy and low fat. This was in the "Slice & Bake" cookie section, but I'm not that good with making these that way. The dough is really gooey, just plop them by spoonfuls directly onto the baking sheet. You get to eat them faster! A couple of hints - it is 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract, the first time I misread and added 1/2 tsp, they were very minty! (But still edible!) Also, the recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of applesauce. Instead of buying a jar and having it go funky in the fridge, I buy the 1 cup unsweetened applesauces, in the 6 pack size. There's enough in there for this recipe and a little extra for a taste! The recipe does not specify unsweet or regular applesauce, but if you are trying to watch sugar and save a few calories, you can successfully go with the unsweetened.

Chocolate-Mint Cookies
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 if you are not doing the slice and bake. Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine brown sugar and the next five ingredients in a medium bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed for 2 minutes. Beat in egg white. Add flour mixture, beat at low speed until well-blended. (For slice and bake-coat hands lightly with cooking spray. Shape dough into a 6 inch log. Wrap log in plastic wrap, freeze for 1 hour or until firm. Cut log into 24 1/4 inch slices). Place by rounded teaspoonfuls 1 inch apart on baking sheets lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove, let cool on wire rack.
Makes 24 cookies
Each - 76 calories (22% from fat), 1.8g fat (sat 1.1mg, mono 0.5g, poly 0.1g), protein 1.2g, carb 13.7g, fiber 0.2g, chol 4mg, iron 0.7mg, sodium 33mg, calcium 8mg.