The GP-Friendly Holiday Cookie Tray

Hands down, my favorite GP-friendly Christmas cookies are the GP Friendly Gingerbread Men that I featured in this month's newsletter.   They're soft, perfectly spicy, and the recipe is simple yet versatile. But those aren't the only tasty treats on my GP-friendly cookie tray!  Here are three more low-fat, low-fiber recipes for you to enjoy and share this holiday season.

No-Bake Holly Treats

A festive twist on Rice Krispie Treats, these no-bake cookies look like little bunches of holly.  While they're a snap to make, you'll want to work quickly as the mixture can get rather sticky as it cools.  I've reduced the butter in the recipe, making each cookie about 1 gram of fat.  Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons of butter

• 30 large marshmallows (or 4 cups mini marshmallows)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• green food coloring

• 4 1/2 cups of Corn Flakes

• Red Hot cinnamon candies or red/green sprinkles

Directions

1. Melt butter and marshmallows in a big pot over low-medium heat, stirring frequently.  Once melted, remove from heat.

2. Stir in vanilla and enough food coloring to make the mixture a deep green color.

3. Dump in Corn Flakes and stir until evenly coated.

4. Using two small spoons, drop little bunches onto waxed paper.

5. Put a Red Hot in the middle of each one (to look like holly berries) or decorate with sprinkles.

6. Allow to set about an hour before serving.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

This is a simple recipe that doesn't require a lot of time, energy or ingredients.  Because we've replaced the oil that's typically used in cake mix cookies with applesauce, these are a little on the light and puffy side...but still tasty enough to eat and serve to others.  I actually think they taste better the next day.  Yield: 2 dozen cookies (about 1.5 grams of fat each).

Ingredients

• 1 package Betty Crocker Devil's Food cake mix (it's lower in fat than Pillsbury or Dunkin Hines)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1 egg plus 1 egg white -- OR -- 1/3 cup egg substitute

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat cake mix, applesauce, egg and egg white until well combined.  Dough will be stiff!

3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls then roll each ball in powdered sugar.

4. Place about 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes until center is set.

6. Cool on a wire rack.

Gingerbread Biscotti

Biscotti is dry and crunchy, so it's perfect for dunking in coffee or tea. With no butter or oil, the only fat in this recipe comes from the egg making the cookies less than 1 gram of fat per piece.   Yield: 30 cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 egg plus, lightly beaten

• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten

• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients (flour through cloves).  Set aside.

3. In another bowl, combine the egg, egg whites, brown sugar, molasses and vanilla.  Mix until smooth.

4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture.  Stir just until combined.

5. Divide dough in half.  On prepared baking sheet, shape each half into a rectangle about 12 inches by 1-1/2 inches.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm to the touch.

7. Reduce oven to 300 degrees.

8. Allow biscotti logs to cool for about 10 minutes.

9. Using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices.

10. Place cut sides down on baking sheet.

11. Bake 15-20 more minutes or until lightly browned.

12. Biscotti will harden more as it cools.