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Smart Cookies Holiday treats that will keep a diet on trackby Regina Ragone, RD, with the Prevention test kitchen Think you can't enjoy rich, gooey cookies, chocolaty brownies, and that guy of the season, the gingerbread man, and still drop pounds? Cookbook author Julie Van Rosendaal is living proof that you can. While developing the recipes for her new book, One Smart Cookie, Julie ate all of the above—and more—and still lost an astounding 165 pounds.
Her secrets: First, her cookies contain half the fat of traditional recipes. Because she's a food lover, she made sure they tasted just as rich and sweet as cookies are supposed to taste. Second, she didn't change what she ate, but how. "I ate smaller portions and made all the food I love lower in fat and calories," she says. You can serve these to holiday guests (even the dieters), use them for a cookie exchange, or send them to faraway friends and family (they all travel well). You can freeze the leftovers—if there are any. When we put these cookies out at our Test Kitchen, the only thing left over was crumbs.
LINZER COOKIES
This classic Austrian cookie is typically made with almonds and a raspberry jam, but a different nut or jam will work, too. Ingredients - 1/4 cup trans-free margarine or butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Grated peel of l lemon (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)
- 1/3 cup raspberry jam
- Confectioners' sugar
Preparation - Beat margarine, oil, granulated sugar and lemon peel, if using, until light. Beat in egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to sugar mixture, and stir by hand just until dough is soft. Divide dough in half, shape each half into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour, or until well chilled.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Between 2 pieces of wax paper, roll out one disk to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out cookies using a 1-1/2-inch- to 2-inch-round cookie cutter or glass rim. Using a 1/2-inch round or shaped cutter, cut centers out of half the cookies.
- Place cookies 2 to 3 inches apart on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cookies with centers cut out with almonds, if using, pressing gently to help them adhere.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden around edges. Transfer to rack to cool. Repeat with remaining disk, rerolling scraps once to get as many cookies as possible.
- Spread solid cookies with jam, and sprinkle cut-out cookies lightly with confectioners' sugar. Top each solid cookie with a cut-out cookie.
Makes 2-1/2 dozen Per cookie: 69 cal, 1 g pro, 12 g carb, 2 g fat, 0 g sat. fat, 7 mg chol, 0 g fiber, 50 mg sodium Prep time: 40 minutes Baking time: 10 to 12 minutes each batch Freeze 'em
Freezing is a good idea for these cookies, since they're so low in fat that they don't keep as long as traditional high-fat cookies. Store in airtight containers, or freeze them if they aren't going to be eaten within a day or two. Soft and crisp cookies shouldn't be stored together; the crisp ones will go soggy, and the soft ones will lose moisture. Excerpted from One Smart Cookie by Julie Van Rosendaal. |
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CHOCOLAVA COOKIES
This fudgy cookie, named for its cracked, lava-like appearance, is a chocolate lover's dream. Ingredients - 1-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup trans-free margarine or butter, softened
- 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Confectioners' sugar, for rolling
Preparation - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar. Stir in margarine until mixture is well combined and crumbly. (This part can be done in a food processor.) Add egg whites and vanilla extract. Stir by hand just until dough comes together.
- Place a few heaping spoonfuls of confectioners' sugar into shallow dish. Roll dough into 1-1/2-inch balls, then roll balls in sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until just set around edges but still soft in the middle. Transfer to rack to cool.
Makes 2 dozen Per cookie: 92 cal, 1 g pro, 18 g carb, 2 g fat, 0 g sat. fat, 0 mg chol, 1 g fiber, 71 mg sodium Prep time: 20 minutes Baking time: 12 to 14 minutes
SWEET CARROT PUMPKIN BARS
A double whammy of pumpkin and carrots gives just one of these bars more than 100 percent of the daily value of vitamin A. The dried fruit and nuts add even more vitamins, minerals and fiber. Ingredients - 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons trans-free margarine or butter, melted
- Grated peel of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup packed grated carrots
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries or chopped apricots
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Preparation - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In separate bowl, beat egg and egg white until foamy. Beat in sugar, pumpkin, oil, margarine, orange peel and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir by hand until almost combined. Stir in carrots, raisins, cranberries and nuts just until blended.
- Spread batter into 8"x 8" pan coated with cooking spray. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on rack.
Makes 1 dozen Per bar: 214 cal, 0 g pro, 34 g carb, 7 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 18 mg chol, 2 g fiber, 152 mg sodium Prep time: 12 minutes Cooking time: 30 to 35 minutes |
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MONSTER COOKIES
These crisp, crunchy cookies contain no flour, which causes them to spread out on the pan when baked.
Ingredients - 1/4 cup trans-free margarine or butter, softened
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat peanut butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup candy-coated mini-chocolate pieces
Preparation - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine margarine and peanut butter. Add sugar, egg, egg white and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
- Add oats, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips and chocolate pieces. Mix well.
- Drop spoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake 15 to 17 minutes, until golden. Let cool a few minutes on sheet before removing to rack.
Makes 2 dozen Per cookie: 190 cal, 6 g pro, 28 g carb, 7 g fat, 2 g sat. fat, 10 mg chol, 3 g fiber, 125 mg sodium Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 15 to 17 minutes Squelch Your Inner Cookie Monster The hardest part about baking cookies is trying to resist eating them all straight out of the oven. Try these tactics to help avoid temptation: - Don't bake on an empty stomach. Just like grocery shopping, baking while you're hungry sets you up for disaster.
- Keep a piece of gum in your mouth while baking. You'll think twice before popping a cookie into your mouth. Cherry gum or bubble gum can curb your cravings for something sweet.
- Allot yourself a few of your favorite cookies, and sit down to enjoy them instead of snacking on the sly.
- Brush your teeth before baking. Cookies don't taste as good mixed with Colgate, and you aren't as likely to eat if it's going to ruin your newly brushed teeth.
HAZELNUT CAPPUCCINO BISCOTTI
Biscotti means twice baked. Packed with hazelnuts and chocolate chips, these are perfect with coffee or a cappuccino. Ingredients - 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup strong coffee, cooled
- 1 tablespoon 1 percent milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
Preparation - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- In separate bowl, stir together coffee, milk, egg, egg white and vanilla extract. Add coffee mixture to flour mixture. Stir by hand just until dough is soft. Stir in hazelnuts and chocolate chips.
- Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. With floured hands, shape into two 8-inch logs. Place logs 2 to 3 inches apart on baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and flatten each into a rectangle about 3 inches wide.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and firm. Transfer logs to rack to cool 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees F.
- Place logs on cutting board, trim ends, and cut each log diagonally into 1/2 to 3.4-inch slices using a serrated knife. Place slices cut side down on baking sheet. Return to oven, and bake 20 minutes. Flip cookies over, and bake 20 minutes longer. Transfer to rack to cool.
Makes 2 dozen Per biscotti: 125 cal, 0 g pro, 21 g carb, 4 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 10 mg chol, 1 g fiber, 87 mg sodium Prep time: 20 minutes Baking time: 60 minutes Variation: For a shiny finish, brush the tops of the dough logs before baking with a glaze made with 1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water.
GINGERBREAD PEOPLE
If you want to hang these as ornaments, cut a small hole near the top with the end of a straw before baking. Once the cookies have cooled, thread a ribbon through the hole. Ingredients - 1/4 cup trans-free margarine or butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup dark molasses
- 1/3 cup cold water
- 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- Smooth vanilla frosting (optional)
Preparation - Beat margarine, sugar, molasses and water with electric mixer or by hand until smooth. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt and cloves.
- Add flour mixture to molasses mixture, stirring by hand just until soft dough forms. Divide dough in half, shape each piece into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- On a lightly floured surface or between 2 pieces of wax paper, roll out one disk about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out cookies using a 5-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until set. (Bake a few minutes longer for crispier cookies.) Transfer to rack to cool. Repeat with remaining disk, rerolling scraps once to get as many cookies as possible. When cookies are completely cool, decorate with smooth vanilla frosting, if using.
Makes 3 dozen
Per cookie: 85 cal, 0 g pro, 17 g carb, 1 g fat, 0 g sat. fat, 0 mg chol, 2 g fiber, 86 mg sodium Prep time: 50 minutes Baking time: 10 to 15 minutes Note: To make smooth vanilla frosting, combine 2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon light corn syrup and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. This makes enough for 4 dozen cookies. |
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