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Who says you can’t enjoy the scrumptious holiday goodies and still maintain some waist management?

All it takes is some ingenuity in the kitchen and a mindset of a little is good, a lot is not.

Try these holiday makeover recipes and you will be taking one small step to a healthier and lighter new year.

Don’t forget to get EXERCISE in this coming week to balance out the inevitable extra calorie consumption.

Happy Holidays to All!

Snow-Dusted Mini Linzer Tart Cookies

A holiday favorite, these remade linzer tarts are festive, light and nutritious!

You will need:

  • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
  • ¾ cup unsifted cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup Splenda sugar blend for baking
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • ¼ cup egg substitute
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup raspberry jam
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

 

Procedure:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Coat a large baking sheet with nonstick spray.
  • In a large bowl, whisk flours, king powder and salt together.  
  • Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat then pour into a separate mixing bowl.
  • Add Splenda and oil and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
  • Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
  • Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
  • Divide the dough in half and shape in two balls.
  • Working with one ball at a time, roll dough on lightly floured surface until dough is approximately 1/8th inch thick.
  • With a ~1 ½ inch round cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as you can, placing them on the baking sheet.
  • Repeat with second ball of dough.
  • Place a thumbprint in the center of each circle.
  • Bake both batches for 10-15 minutes and cool on a wire cake rack for 20 minutes.
  • Spoon a dab of jam into each thumbprint impression and sprinkle the tops with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

NOTE: Keep dough as cold as possible for easier handling.

Yield: 25 cookies

Nutrition information (per cookie):

  • Calories: 60
  • Fat: 2g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 50mg
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Sugar: 4g
  • Protein: 1g

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