Gingerbread People

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 3 1/1 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. grated orange or lemon zest

Icing:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tbsp. hot water
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla, orange, or lemon extract
• 1-2 drops food coloring (optional)

Makes 48 Servings (1 cookie per serving)

1. To prepare the cookies, in a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the brown sugar, oil and butter until fluffy, 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, egg, and zest. Gradually add in the flour mixture until combined.
3. Divide the dough into 3 sections; flatten each into a disc. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill thoroughly, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray.
5. Working one disk at a time and keeping the remaining dough in the refrigerator, roll the disk on a lightly floured counter t o1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough with a 3-inch gingerbread man cutter into 16-inch cookies. Place on prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, and back until just barely dark, about 8 minutes. Repeat with the remaining 2 disks of dough. Cool on a rack.
6. To prepare the icing, in a medium bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar, hot water, and flavored extract until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add, a few more drops of water. Tint with the food coloring, if desired. Decorate the thoroughly cooled gingerbread people with the icing.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. The holidays are here and you can have your gingerbread cookie and eat them too. Don't be intimidated by all the ingredients. When you follow the directions, the cookies turn out delicious. The longer you refrigerate or freeze the dough, the more flavorful the cookies will taste. The cookies will taste just as delicious without the icing. You can make this cookie any time of the year but use a different cookie cutter and they'll taste just as delicious. You can leave these cookies in a storage container in the refrigerator for up to a week and freeze them up to a month.

Orange-Pecan Scones

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup pecan pieces
• 1/4 cup 1 % or fat-free buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
• 1/8 tsp orange extract
• 1/2 cup whole-grain pastry flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chilled trans-fat-free margarine, cut into bits

Makes 8 Servings

1. Position rack in the middle of the oven and heat oven to 400 F. Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and lightly golden, 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together buttermilk, egg, vanilla, zest and orange extract in a small bowl.
3. In a large bowl, sift together whole-grain and all-purpose flours, sugar substitute, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add margarine and, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut margarine into the dry ingredients until the mixtures resembles coarse meal. Add pecans and buttermilk mixture, stirring until mixture forms a slightly sticky dough. Using wet hands, knead dough 4 or 5 times in the bowl.
4. Place the dough on the baking sheet and form into 3/4-inch-thick disk. Cut disk all the way through into 8 wedges (do not separate). Bake until lightly golden, 15-18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. Scones are nice treats from time to time, when they're done right. These scones were moist and packed with flavor. The key to making these scones nice and moist is the buttermilk and the margarine. These treats are perfect for afternoon tea or a weekend brunch. 

Whole-Grain Cranberry Spice Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole-grain pastry flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup granular sugar substitute
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp orange extract
• 1 3/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Makes 12 slices

1. Position rack in middle of oven and heat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 4-by 8-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Sift flour, cinnamon, nutmeg,  baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, sugaar substitute, egg, substitute, oil, vanilla and orange extracts. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; stir well to combine. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into loaf pan, spreading evenly.
4. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes, them turn cake out onto rack to cool completely before serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This delicious treat can be made and enjoyed anytime of the year. Cranberries give this cake some zing but you could use, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries and the cake would be delicious. The cinnamon and nutmeg give the cake a nice aftertaste along with the vanilla and orange extracts. I highly recommend spreading butter, margarine or any kind of fruit preserve if you want to add a little more moisture or flavor to your cake. It makes a nice after-dinner treat, tea time treat or even a breaskfast treat as well.