Chocolate Mint Whoopie Pies

These cute sandwich cookies from our Test Kitchen would be a pretty addition to any holiday goodie tray.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons fat-free milk, divided
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1-1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon mint extract
4 drops green food coloring, optional

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, beat sugar and oil until crumbly. Add egg; beat for 1 minute. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into sugar mixture. Add 2 tablespoons milk; mix well. With lightly floured hands, roll dough into 36 balls.

Place 2 in. apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Flatten slightly with a glass coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 5-6 minutes or until edges are set and tops are cracked. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine butter and confectioners' sugar until crumbly. Beat in extract, food coloring if desired and remaining milk. Spread on the bottom of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Yield:1-1/2 dozen.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

One sandwich cookie equals:

122 calories
4 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
15 mg cholesterol
86 mg sodium
21 g carbohydrate
trace fiber
1 g protein

Diabetic Exchanges:

1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.

TASTY TIP

For a change of pace, try using orange extract instead of the mint, and one drop each of red and yellow food coloring for the four drops of green.

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