A Saner Cookie

Cocoa fudge cookies.

No matter how healthy I try to be, there is one habit I just can't kick. I need chocolate. It's my drug, and I have no intention of going to rehab. I do try to find the healthiest way to indulge, but one can only pretend to enjoy so many dark chocolate squares. My favorite way to enjoy chocolate is in warm, soft cookie form, but cookies don't exactly scream healthy. One particularly desperate night, I found myself perusing the Cooking Light website and came across what would be my new go-to recipes to satisfy chocolate cravings.

1. Cocoa Fudge Cookies
These cookies are fudgy bits of goodness from heaven, like a brownie and a cookie had a passionate love affair, resulting in a delightful child. Yes, they are that good. The healthy part of the recipe stems from the reduced butter and replacing eggs with yogurt. This may seem detrimental to the flavor, but that is not the case. The yogurt adds a wonderful tangy flavor that cuts through the intense cocoa for an overall balanced, satisfying cookie at only 78 calories.

2. Classic Chocolate Chip
A warm chocolate chip cookie is hard to beat, and these cookies are no exception. This 78-calorie recipe is the healthiest I've found in that it replaces some of the fat with applesauce, without losing a crispier texture. The problem is, I don't usually have plain applesauce on hand, and having to put the applesauce through a sieve just seems annoying. If you're not into the applesauce, I've also tried this recipe They are chewier than the first, but still perfectly delightful. The recipe is lightened up by the use of egg whites, but these cookies come in slightly heavier, at 88 calories per serving. I recommend using bittersweet chocolate chips, as they seem to satisfy my chocolate craving more and balance out the sugar in the cookie

3. Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints
This cookie is for those truly serious chocolate cravings and uses one of the most wonderful creations on this planet, Nutella. I have made these with and without the espresso powder, and while it deepens the chocolaty goodness, it is by no means necessary. Ditto, the chopped hazelnuts -- a good addict knows the shortcuts. Unfortunately, these have the most calories, at 104 per cookie, as well as double the fat of the others, but with the cocoa and Nutella, I promise just one will make all your dreams come true, or satisfy your chocolate craving, whatever.

Unfortunately, the cornerstone of all of these cookie recipes is portion control. Each recipe works off a level tablespoon of dough for one serving. However, because the cookies are fudgy as opposed to crisp from the decreased fat, each serving tends to be more filling, allowing for sane indulging.

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