Recipe to beat high blood pressure: chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

Look what has happened to the traditional chocolate chip cookie! This one has only half the fat of the original, plus old-fashioned oats give it a fibre boost. Same old flavour, just healthy!

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes: 36

Ingredients:

• 250 g (1 c) all-purpose flour
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) baking soda
• Salt to taste
• 250 g (1 c) old-fashioned oats
• 60 ml (4 tbsp) margarine
• 150 g (2/3 c) packed light brown sugar
• 125 g (1/2 c) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) vanilla
• 75 ml (1/3 c) reduced-fat sour cream
• 175 g (3/4 c) semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Stir in oats.
2. Cream margarine, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at high speed until well blended. Add egg and vanilla and beat until light yellow and creamy, about 3 minutes. Blend in sour cream with wooden spoon, then flour mixture all at once, just until combined (don't overmix or the cookies may become tough). Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 5 centimetres (2 inches) apart onto baking sheets. Bake cookies until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool completely. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

• Add 125 grams (1/2 cup) dried cherries to the batter.
• Cherries and chocolate are a great flavour combination.
• Make these cookies more fibre-rich by using whole-wheat flour in place of the all-purpose flour.

• Low-fat dairy products like the sour cream in this recipe are particularly good sources of nutrients, including calcium and potassium, the minerals best linked to improved blood pressure.
• Oats are a great source of vitamins B1, B2 and E, as well as a long list of phytochemicals that fight cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Key nutrients (per 1 cookie):

• 80 Calories
• 25 Calories from Fat
• 3 g Fat
• 1 g Saturated Fat
• 0 g Trans Fat
• 1 g Protein
• 13 g Carb
• 1 g Fibre
• 40 mg Sodium

Blood pressure nutrients:

• 0 mg Vitamin C
• 12 mg Magnesium
• 44 mg Potassium
• 10 mg Calcium

That's it! Now you have a simple recipe for delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that are also healthy -- not to mention a few great tips for making your cookies unique and exciting!