Oatmeal Rice Crispy Chocolate Chip Mac-Nut Cookies

adapted from JANIC412's recipe Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies II, with reduced sugar and reduced fat. It's adds an interesting crunch from the rice crispies, but are more... cakey in texture and don't spread very much while baking. they are best eaten fresh as the rice crispies get soggy over the course of the next few days. perhaps you can substitute corn flakes to get a better texture.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 45 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1  cup brown sugar or 1  cup white sugar
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  pinch salt, if macadamia nuts and butter are not salted
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened to room temp
• 1⁄2 cup applesauce
• 2  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3⁄4 cups  quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1⁄2 cup  Rice Krispies
• 1  cup  macadamia nuts
• 1  cup white chocolate chips or 1  cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Toast oatmeal and macadamia nuts for five minutes, or nuts are until golden.
3. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, soda, salt, applesauce, butter, eggs and vanilla until combined into a smooth batter.
4. Stir in oatmeal, macadamia nuts, rice crispies and chocolate chips.
5. Drop by well rounded Tablespoons 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden.
6. Cool 2 miuntes, then carefully transfer to racks with spatula to cool.