The Cookie to My Heart!

It will probably come as no surprise to you that I love cherries (which I professed in this post) and I love chocolate (which I've professed in way too many posts to count). John and I are trying valiantly to get and stay healthy for the wedding.   I absolutely refuse to diet without being able to eat dessert. I find that when I completely cut off sweets, I eventually binge on them and wreck any hard-fought progress I've made. And so, I've been searching for low-calorie, low-fat, or low-other-bad-stuff recipes.

You can understand my excitement and glee then, when I came across Low-Calorie Chocolate Cherry Cookies! While the original directions and nutritional information are here, I found a faster and easier way to make these cookies-- and it makes them fudgier and chewier, too!  (I'm a little biased, but I think my way is better!) Try them out and decide for yourself!

You'll Need...

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (Like a true Central PA-er, I used Hershey's.)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup dried tart cherries
• 3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt and stir. 
3. Cut in butter. 
4. Microwave mixture until butter is completely soft. Stir the butter into the mixture until all ingredients are combined. 
5. Add egg and vanilla and stir well. 
6. Fold in cherries and, if you choose, chocolate chips. 
7. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased trays. (You may have to form the cookies with your hands. Don't worry-- the cookies will turn out just fine!) 
8. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or just until set.

Keep checking back this week for a variety of fun Valentiney posts! Love is most definitely in the air!