Lightened Up Holiday Cookie Dough Recipes

HOLIDAY COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Divide dough into five 1-cup portions; shape each into a 10-in.-long roll. Wrap individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle, or freeze for up to 3 months. Yield: 5 portions (1 cup each)., To use refrigerated cookie dough: Cut roll into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Decorate with sprinkles, jimmies or colored sugar if desired. Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks. , Or, bake according to individual directions for Jolly Santas, Lemon Rope Trees, Magic Stars, Reindeer Bites and Strawberry Tea Cookies., To use frozen cookie dough: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake according to recipe directions.,

LIGHTENED-UP HOLIDAY COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, oil and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Divide dough into four 1-1/4-cup portions. Shape each into a disk; wrap individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle, or freeze for up to 3 months. Yield: 4 portions (1-1/4 cups each)., To use refrigerated cookie dough: Divide each portion into two balls; roll each ball directly on an ungreased baking sheet to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. cookie cutter, leaving at least 1 in. between cookies. Remove excess dough and reroll scraps if desired., Bake at 350° for 6-7 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate as desired., Or, bake according to individual directions for Drizzled Cherry Cookie Cups, Chocolate Swirled Bars and Wreath Cookies., To use frozen cookie dough: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake according to recipe directions.

HOLIDAY COOKIES: ONE DOUGH, THREE HOLIDAY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cloves in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 minutes with a handheld beater. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
• Form dough into a 12-inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up in the plastic wrap. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Cut 1/2-inch thick slices from the log with a sharp knife and arrange on 2 ungreased large baking sheets, about 1-inch apart.
• For basic sugar cookies, sprinkle generously with coarse sugar and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and slightly puffed.
• Cool on baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely.
• For Chocolate and Walnut Cookies:
• Make basic dough according to recipe above, but adding the cocoa powder to the flour mixture and folding in the nuts just after mixing the batter. Bake for 15 minutes and then cool on sheets for 3 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely.
• For Almond-Orange Cookies:
• Make basic dough according to recipe above, but adding both the orange zest and ground almonds when you add the flour mixture.
• When cookies are formed, make a slight depression in the middle and fill each with about 1 teaspoon marmalade. Top each with a good pinch of sliced almonds. Bake for 20 minutes and then cool on sheets for 3 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely.

LIGHTENED URBAN LEGEND COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place the oats into a food processor or blender and grind into a fine powder. Stir the oats together with the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
• Beat the butter, applesauce, granular sweetener, and brown sugar substitute with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla with the last egg. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips, grated chocolate, and walnuts mixing just enough to evenly combine. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.