Deceptively Delicious

Do Chocolate Chip Cookies with hidden chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) sound a bit odd to you?  They did to me too, but when I saw the scrumptious photo in Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook Deceptively Delicious, I thought it was worth a try.  A friend gave me the book a little over a month ago, and I've pulled it out for ideas to get my little non-eaters to eat.  Seinfeld's strategy is to secretly add purees of vegetables to kid's favorite dishes: think meatballs with butternut squash hidden inside, or scrambled eggs with cauliflower puree. 

Truth be told, I'm a very inconsistent cook, so for these cookies to be a hit (my husband said they may be the best he's ever tried), the recipe must be foolproof.  Did I mention that my twins helped bake them?  This added a whole other opportunity for error.

The cookies are light and fluffy, which isn't what I typically like (I prefer sugary and crispy), but I do think they're very good, more filling than a trypical cookie, and actually have some nutritional value.  Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
nonstick cooking spray
1 c firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 c trans fat-free soft tub margarine
2 large egg whites
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cup ap flour
1/2 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden spoon or on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the chickpeas and chocolate chips. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.

3. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Press gently with a fork to flatten. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and just set, 11 - 13 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a rack to cool.

4. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Happy & Healthy Eating!