Good For You

By Barbara Burke

Wednesday, December 15, 1999

Sweets in small doses

THERE'S no reason to eliminate Christmas cookies from the holiday season. Those small, sweet morsels can help satisfy your sweet tooth and make the perfect ending to a festive meal.

The key, as always, is portion size and moderation.

Not all cookies are concocted equally. Cookies like gingersnaps tend to be lower in fat and calories. Cookies can vary greatly by recipe, however. So, it's always a good idea to read food labels to compare the fat and calorie content of store-bought cookies.

When making your own cookies at home, look for recipes with proportionately lower fat contents. You can still maintain all the irresistible flavor that is associated with Christmas cookies by replacing some of the butter with pureed baby food or mashed banana. In some recipes, you can replace whole eggs with egg whites or lowfat liquid egg substitute.

And, while you're taking steps to reduce the fat and calories in cookies, don't forget to include spices, pure (not artificial) extracts, or small amounts of chopped, toasted nuts or mini chocolate chips. These flavor enhancers can help transform a lowfat cookie into a mouth-watering delight.

The following cookie recipes have been modified to provide significantly less fat and calories than a cookie of similar size.

LEMON GINGER DROP COOKIES

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup baby food pureed fruit
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use all ingredients at room temperature. Cream butter, sugar, eggs and baby food together until well blended.

Measure flour by dipping method (do not tap cup). Sift dry ingredients over wet ingredients and blend. Stir in chopped candy ginger.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart on parchment paper or lightly sprayed baking sheets. Bake 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 2 dozen.

Estimated Nutrient Analysis per cookie: 80 calories, 2 g total fat, 1 g sat fat, 15 mg chol, 75 mg sodium*

OATMEAL RAISIN CHOCOLATE CHIP
CHOCOLATE COOKIES

1/4 cup butter
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large egg
1/8 cup molasses
1/4 cup baby food pureed fruit
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup packed raisins
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use all ingredients at room temperature. Cream butter, sugar and eggs together until well blended. Add molasses and baby food and blend.

Measure flour by dipping method (do not tap cup). Sift dry ingredients over wet ingredients and blend. Stir in raisins and miniature or chopped chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart on parchment paper or lightly sprayed baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Makes 3 dozen.

Estimated Nutrient Analysis per cookie: 105 calories, 2.5 g total fat, 1 g sat fat, 15 mg chol, 115 mg sodium.*

Health Events

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Barbara Burke is a Hawaii-Pacific University instructor
who has been teaching and writing about food
and nutrition since 1975.

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