Healthier Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together flour and baking soda.

Beat butter, applesauce, brown sugar, and white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in instant pudding until well blended. Stir in eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in vanilla extract. Blend flour mixture into butter mixture until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Drop spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated oven until edges of cookies are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.