Avoiding the One Pound Stick
By Lauren, age 18, California
Holiday Sugar Cookies
Healthy Christmas Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup sugar1/2 cup reduced-calorie margarine, at room temperature
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, if desired
2 medium egg whites
2 cups powdered sugar, lightly packed
Note
Decorate these classic holiday treats with the icing recipe given below, or experiment with colored sugar crystals and other colorful sprinkles found in your store's baking section.Directions
In mixer on medium, beat sugar and margarine together until crumbly. Add 1 egg, corn syrup, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until smooth and pale in color.In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom. Slowly beat flour mixture into margarine mixture until blended. Divide dough into four equal parts and flatten each quarter to form a round. Wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray baking sheet(s) with cooking spray. On a lightly floured board roll out one round to 1/4-1/8 inch thickness. With a lightly floured Christmas tree cookie cutter (about 2 inches tall), cut out cookies and transfer them, about 2 inches apart, to baking sheet(s). Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake until golden brown on bottom, 5 to 9 minutes. Remove from the oven; cool completely.
For Royal Icing, in a large bowl whip egg whites and powdered sugar at low speed until sugar is moistened. Beat at high speed until glossy and stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 6 minutes. Divide icing depending on how many colors you want to use. Add food coloring to achieve desired tint. To decorate cookies place icing in a small plastic bag; snip a tiny hole off one corner of the bag. Pipe icing onto the cooled cookies to create tree-trimming designs and ornaments.
