Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have the familiar flavors of brown sugar and chocolate, but get a sophisticated twist from tahini (sesame paste). Tahini helps to lower the saturated fat by more than 66 percent while adding a nutty flavor to an old classic.

ingredients

• 2   cups 

  rolled oats, (not quick-cooking)
• 1/2  cup 

  whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1/2  cup 

  all-purpose flour
• 1   teaspoon 

  ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon 

  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon 

  salt
• 1/2  cup 

  tahini, (see Ingredient Note)
• 4   tablespoons 

  cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2/3  cup 

  granulated sugar
• 2/3  cup 

  packed light brown sugar
• 1   

  large egg
• 1   

  large egg white
• 1   tablespoon 

  vanilla extract
• 1   cup 

  semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2  cup 

  chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk oats, whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat tahini and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until blended into a paste. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; continue beating until well combined--the mixture will still be a little grainy. Beat in egg, then egg white, then vanilla. Stir in the oat mixture with a wooden spoon until just moistened. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

3. With damp hands, roll 1 tablespoon of the batter into a ball, place it on a prepared baking sheet and flatten it until squat, but don't let the sides crack. Continue with the remaining batter, spacing the flattened balls 2 inches apart.

4. Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 16 minutes, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through. Cool on the pans for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Let the pans cool for a few minutes before baking another batch.

Tips:

1. Ingredient notes: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large super markets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.

2. Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. Look for it in natural-foods stores and some supermarkets.

3. MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.

Nutrition information

Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 102, Fat, total (g) 5, chol. (mg) 7, sat. fat (g) 2, carb. (g) 14, Monosaturated fat (g) 1, fiber (g) 1, pro. (g) 2, sodium (mg) 45, Potassium (mg) 53, Other Carb () 1, Fat () 1, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet