So, every year my mom and I get together before Christmas to spend a day baking up some of our most favorite cookies. This year a request was put in, by another health-nut in the family, for some extra special chocolate chip cookies - soft and full of dark chocolate goodness; chunks and chips alike. Of course, I was more than happy to oblige!

These cookies are soft, fluffy, and full of the good stuff that I know my father-in-law loves. To make them even more special, I topped a few with festive sprinkles, others with dark chocolate candies, and some were just left perfectly plain.

I kept these cookies lighter and better-for-you by swapping some of the flour for whole wheat white flour. I also used a brown sugar blend that had half the amount of sugar in it, and of course, light butter was a must here! I wanted these cookies to be more of a guiltless pleasure that my father-in-law could indulge in without worrying too much.

Knowing what I know about my father-in-law, I wanted to be sure to keep these cookies soft. Him and my sister-in-law both enjoy a couple of cookies for their breakfast each morning so I knew that they had to compare to what he was used to enjoying!

The day that I made these, my little one may or may not have eaten three of these from the counter. Sneaky little thing! I offered her one for a snack and when I turned back around her and the three cookies were gone.

Oh, well. At least I got some whole wheat and plenty of dark chocolate in her.

Skinny 'Soft Batch' Chocolate Chip Cookies
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 40 • Size: 1 Cookie • Calories: 118.3 • Fat: 6 g • Carb: 16.7 g • Fiber: 1.1 g • Protein: 1.1 g • Sugar: 10.1 g • Sodium: 101.6 mg

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour
1/2 C. Whole Wheat White Flour
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 C. Light Butter, Melted
1 C. Brown Sugar Blend (I used Splenda Brown Sugar Blend.)
2 Whole Large Eggs
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 C. Dark Chocolate Chips
3 Oz. Dark Chocolate (I used Attune Probiotic Chocolate.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine 1/2 C. flour, 1/2 C. whole wheat white flour, 1 Tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 Tsp. salt in small bowl. Set aside.

Mix 1 C. (2 sticks) butter and 1 C. Brown Sugar Blend, 2 eggs and 1 Tbsp. vanilla into a large bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and fold in 1 1/2 C. chocolate chips and the 3 oz. chopped up chocolate or candies.

I used this probiotic chocolate because... probiotics and chocolate. Win, win!

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 11-13 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool slightly before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

I topped a few of mine with decorative festive holiday sprinkles and candies before baking.

Enjoy!

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.