Christmas Cookie Makeover
Begin with sugar, white flour, butter, and …. you’ve got another round of delicious and yes, “dramatic” holiday cookies. To be sure I am not advocating deprivation, consider delicious and healthy holiday cookies. These seasonal sweets are sure to please heart, mind, and spirit.
Your ingredient list is short and simple: almonds, oats, whole what pastry flour, maple syrup, canola or safflower oil, baking powder, and the jam of your choice. Our heart healthy ingredients are almonds and oats. Both are proven effective to help achieve healthy cholesterol levels. I recommend strawberry jam as your topper for the benefits of ellagic acids – a super antioxidant and cancer fighter. Consider maple syrup over traditional refines sugars; sweet but with added minerals. The rest of recipe is as follows:
Dry ingredients
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup ground oats
1 cup whole wheat or other whole grain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet ingredients
1/2 cup organic grapeseed or safflower oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
Jam of choice (we love strawberry, apricot, and seedless raspberry)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grind almonds and oats in coffee grinder or blender. Mix together with flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add dry to wet and stir until well mixed. Mixture will be stiff and somewhat sticky. Roll into walnut sized balls and place on nonstick cookie sheet. Use your thumb to indent the center of each cookie. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite jam to the center of the cookie. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly browned.
Serving sweets that support health and happiness is truly a blessing for all seasons. Happy holidays.
December 9, 2011
by Optimum WellnessComments
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