"Tis the season to be jolly!" with sweets galore! Even if you're watching what you eat, this is the time when those good habits seem go out the window. But wait! Making your own treats at home means you can control what goes in them. A few simple substitutions can transform holiday treats from naughty to nice! AND a gift of home-made cookies is a simple way to tell others you care about them.
Making cookies is as much fun as sharing them. Try this no-bake treat... with dates, coconut and toasted rice cereal. Kids love making them almost as much as they love eating them!
Jingle Bell Cookies
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates, (8 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups toasted rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
1 cup shredded coconut
To Make:
Combine butter, sugar and dates in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted, the sugar is no longer white and the dates are mostly melted, 8 to 15 minutes. The mixture should be a shiny, brown sticky mass. Remove from the heat.
Add salt, vanilla, rice cereal and coconut; stir well to combine.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze and roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet or plate. Refrigerate until chilled.
With cookies, it's all about taste and texture. See our tips below on how to upgrade your holiday favorites. Cut calories using applesauce. Add some nuts or dried fruits for added flavor. Look for white whole wheat flour and use it to replace half your regular flour. It's simple changes like these that can improve our health.
Relax and enjoy! Make cookies ahead and store in airtight containers with wax paper between the layers. Now all you have to think about is caring and sharing.... what the Holidays are all about!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM HARVEST HOME
RECIPE: Puerto Rican Meringues
A cookie that is as light as a cloud, with a hint of lemon!
INGREDIENTS:
4 egg whites
1 pinch salt
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/3 cups sugar
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
PREPARATION:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.In a large clean bowl, whip the egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until they can hold a soft peak. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar while continuing to whip to stiff peaks. Fold in the lemon zest. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they peel off of the sheet easily. Cool on wire racks.
UPGRADE Your Cookies
Nuts add crunch and healthy fats: Almonds have more calcium than milk; pecans have vitamins ABE plus lots of those minerals you need. Toasting the nuts on a baking sheet first adds delicious roasted flavor to your cookies.
Cut The Calories with Applesauce
One egg = ¼ cup of applesauceOil or butter: Use the same amount of applesauce instead of oil or butter (IE: ¼ cup of applesauce = ¼ cup of oil or butter)
More Cookie Delights:
Orange Spice Molasses Cookies: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/249980/orange-spice-molasses-cookies/
Ginger Cookies (46 calories!): https://www.reneeskitchenadventures.com/2011/02/ginger-cookies-1-pp.html
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/261421/healthy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Almond & Honey Butter Cookies: The delicious taste of butter cookies without the extra fat! http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/249865/almond-honey-butter-cookies/
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