In the days when the Republican Party of Minnesota Headquarters was located within walking distance of the MN State Capitol in St Paul, I, Tom Polachek, used to volunteer frequently there.  One thing about volunteering at the HQ, was they rarely had snacks for volunteers.  So I had to brown bag it when I did Precinct Caucus Data Entry and do phone-banking there.  Occasionally there was Pizza but that was rare.  So I started to bring made-from-scratch cookies to share with some of the staff and the other volunteers.

When the HQ was moved out of St Paul to the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis I stopped volunteering at the HQ.

At the 2018 Republican Party of Minnesota State Convention in Duluth as the Chair I brought two kinds of cookies to share with the Delegates and the Alternates.  I brought out Chewy Double Chocolate Chip, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I didn’t have enough time to make another batch of cookies which I’m sharing here, Healthified Chocolate Chip aka Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies.

So being that we won’t be able to be together in person at the CD4 Republican Convention nor the State Convention, I thought I’d share the recipes so you can make them yourself to share with your family.

The Betty Crocker App I have on my ancient 3rd Generation iPod Touch lists these cookies having “21% fewer calories • 42% less sat fat • 14% less fat than the original recipe. Simple changes help ease the guilt without losing an ounce of deliciousness!”

It is a simple recipe though when I first made it I thought I did something wrong as it was so soupy prior adding the dry ingredients. I made small cookies as I was unsure if a large cookie would stay together. The cookie sheets and silicone mats I was using I set the oven for 8 minutes.

Ingredients

A. 3/4 cup granulated sugar

B. 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (If your brown sugar has turned hard, you can soften it up by heating it in 10-15 second bursts in the microwave on high. Check it each time until soft).

C. 1/2 cup butter, softened

D. 1/2 cup canola oil

E. 1 teaspoon vanilla

F. 1 egg

G. 2 cups Gold Medal® whole wheat flour

H. 1 teaspoon baking soda

J. 1/4 teaspoon salt

K. 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

*There is no letter “I” as it might confuse the reader.

**I used the North Dakota Mill “Dakota Maid” Brand Whole Wheat Flour. Believe me, you won’t know it is a whole wheat cookie.

Directions

It goes without saying your kitchen needs to be super clean before starting. Wash your hands, and keep your hair in place with a bandana or baseball hat (I started to collect baseball hats because of my single guy cooking-baking). You might have to handle the dough when you put it on the cookie sheets, so wash your hands again.

1. In a large bowl, beat A thru F with an electric mixer on low speed until blended.

2. Beat in G thru J until well blended.

3. Stir in K with a mixing spoon. (I like to use mini chips as there is a more even distribution of chips per bite).

4. Heat oven to 375°F (I like to not rush the mixing as the oven preheats. I like to prepare my cookies on the sheets while it preheats).

5. On an ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart. (I use a silicon baking mat on a metal cookie sheet on either an air bake or a one ply raised sided metal sheet)

6. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until very light golden brown (centers will be soft).

7. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

ENJOY

Directions with Photos

1. Mix A-F

Sugars

Add Canola Oil

Add a Large Egg

2. Add Whole Wheat Flour, baking soda and salt (G thru J)

3. Add mini chips and mix with mixing spoon or rubber mixing spatula

4. Preheat oven to 375 F

5. Prepare your baking sheets.

The silicone mat on the right SILPAT made in France is my favorite baking mat. To determine what is a good silicone baking tool pinch some of the material together. If a white line appears between your fingers it is a poor quality baking tool.

The Best oven mitt I’ve ever used is the “Ove Glove.” It’s reversible and worth whatever you or your gift giver paid for it.

Use upside down spatula to get the cookie off the sheet.

Cool cookies on a wire rack. Then transfer to a plate to put in the fridge.

ENJOY 

Nutrition Facts Calories 110, Calories from Fat 50, Total Fat 6g (9% DV), Saturated Fat 2g (11% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 10mg (4% DV), Sodium 65mg (3% DV), Total Carbohydrate 13g (4% DV), Dietary Fiber 1g (4% DV), Sugars 9g, Protein 1g, Calcium 0%. Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.