I admit it. I love cookies. Almost any kind of cookie. (coconut and vanilla being the exception… so more for you!) Part of the reason is that they’re self-portioning. Yes, there are those enormous cookie-gram cookies that are delivered by a tap dancing elf (or whatever)-but basically, each cookie is a serving. If you’re trying to cut down on sugar, cookies are easier than cake and pie to portion. And so much easier to balance on the side of a tea cup!
Last Sunday was the annual “Cookie Swap” holiday party for my FBLA group. That stands for Food Bloggers of Los Angeles. You can only imagine how excited I was! These people are fantastic with food and many of them provide holiday decorations on the plates that would shame Martha Stewart.
The beauty of these treats is that many are healthy, and all of them were just delicious. We had gluten free options, paleo options, savory options and chocolate options (I said MANY..not all!)
Here are links to some of the recipes:
Gingerbread Bar Cookies with Eggnog Icing: http://goldenhourglass.blogspot.com/2017/12/gingerbread-bar-cookies-with-eggnog.html.
Flourless Caramel Oat Cookies: http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/flourless-caramel-oat-cookies-gluten-free/
Sicilian Christmas Cookies: http://www.mywellseasonedlife.com/Sicilian-christmas-cookies/
Three-Layer Mint Brownies: http://jollytomato.com/2017/12/04/three-layer-mint-brownies-recipe/
Almond cheddar tea biscuits: http://www.inherkitchen.com/2015/09/paleo-cheese-crackers-cookies.html
We also had some scrumptious savory dishes, as well!
Here’s a wonderful vegetarian dish by Judy Lyness: http://www.mywellseasonedlife.com/savory-vegetarian-yule-log/
You get the idea. there are a lot more cookie recipes, but my fellow bloggers are still working on theirs. My buddy Cathy Arkle, http://www.cathyarkle.com/shepaused4thought will no doubt share her recipe for the very sweet cinnamon bun cookies she created.
Oh! You probably want to know what I made! You guys know by now I’m not a huge baker. Not because I CAN’T…because I’ll EAT IT! I decided to keep it simple with a peanut butter cookie. Baking cookies isn’t as easy as you might think. I didn’t want to chance trying something difficult, as time was an issue. I tried to make these a tad healthier using organic white whole wheat flour and natural, organic peanut butter. I also used a tad less sugar. People seemed to like them!
What’s a Holiday without COOKIES?!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2C organic white or whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1C unsalted butter, softened
- 1C sugar
- 1C light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2C natural peanut butter, smooth
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until very fluffy, 2 minutes or so.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.
- Add peanut butter and mix until smooth and fluffy. About2-3 minutes.
- Add flour mix in batches and continue mixing, scraping the bowl as you go. Refrigerate for about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and drop tablespoons of dough on the sheet about 1 1/2" apart.
- Using a fork, score cookies with a cross-hatch pattern.
- Bake until golden, 15-17 minutes.
- Transfer to wire rack to cool.
And there you have it. Enjoy these wonderful recipes for YOUR holiday celebrations. I wish you all happiness, love, joy and playful adventure during your holiday season…..
Hi Rona: I really enjoyed these (as did my kids) and I especially enjoyed the idea that cookies are easier to portion out than cake. I will have to keep that in mind as we head straight into cookie season! Cheers!