Cookies!

Christmas seems to be a perfect time for baking cookies: between last-minute gift-giving, cookie exchanges, and bringing goodies in to work or school, cookies are perfect for this time of year. While I just posted other cookie recipes on Sunday, it doesn't hurt to have more cookies in your baking repertoire. Here are six yummy recipes to try, including Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies. Enjoy!

ORANGE CRANBERRY COOKIES

This recipe begins, “Two favorite Fall flavors – cranberry and orange – combined in an easy to make drop cookie.”

Recipe Yield: 24 cookies

View online with photo: https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/orange-cranberry-cookies

Print version: https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/orange-cranberry-cookies/print/

Ingredients

1/4 cup stick butter, softened

1 egg

3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1/4 cup quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked

1/3 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Dash salt

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

*May substitute 8 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

Beat butter in a medium bowl. Beat in egg and orange juice concentrate.

Mix combined flour, oats, Equal, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and orange peel into creamed mixture until blended. Stir in dried cranberries and chopped walnuts.

Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated 375° F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on wire rack.

Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 65; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 17 mg; Cholesterol: 14 mg; Protein: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 7 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat

RASPBERRY-ALMOND BAR COOKIES

This recipe begins, “An easy to make bar cookie that is filled with flavor rich raspberry spreadable fruit. This buttery treat has 31% fewer calories than the traditional recipe.”

Recipe Yield: Yield: 24 servings

View online with photo: https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/raspberry-almond-bar-cookies

Print version: https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/raspberry-almond-bar-cookies/print/

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold stick butter or margarine, cut into pieces

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 jar (10 ounces) seedless raspberry spreadable fruit

3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

* May substitute 12 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

Combine flour, Equal and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in egg, water and lemon peel. Mixture will be crumbly.

Press mixture evenly onto bottom of well-sprayed 8 x 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 12 to 15 minutes or until edges of crust are lightly browned.

Remove pan from oven and spread raspberry fruit over top. Sprinkle with almonds. Return to oven, and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until raspberry fruit is bubbly. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 86; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 16 mg; Cholesterol: 19 mg; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 12 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

This recipe begins, “You're just 5 ingredients and 20 minutes away from a decadent chocolate dessert.”

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

This is from Diabetic Connect, and can be viewe online here.

Ingredients

1 Pkg. devil's food cake mix

1 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup water

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter chips

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, peanut butter, water and eggs. By hand, stir with spoon until dough is formed. Stir in chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart, on cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove, place on cooling rack and cool completely.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 1; Calories: 100; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrate: 10 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Fat: 5 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 9 mg; Sodium: 110 mg

EASY OAT CHOCOLATE CHIPS COOKIES

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Baking time: 10 minutes per pan.

Yield: about 3 dozen. Serving size: 2 cookies.

This is from Diabetes Self-Management and can be found online here.

Ingredients

1/3 cup margarine, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

3 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Vegetable cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat margarine at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add brown sugar and beat well. Add egg and vanilla, beating well. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to margarine mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray. Using two teaspoons, drop dough onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Portion the dough so that you make about 3 dozen cookies. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 101 calories, Carbohydrates: 14 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Sodium: 120 mg, Fiber: 1 g

Exchanges per serving: 1 starch, 1 fat. Carbohydrate choices: 1.

APRICOT OATMEAL BARS

This recipe begins, “Easy-to-make bar cookies will soon become a favorite. Oats add crunch and apricot spreadable fruit gives this cookie a rich fruit flavor.”

Recipe Yield: Serves: 16

https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/apricot-oatmeal-bars

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked

1/2 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated *

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold stick butter

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup apricot or peach spreadable fruit

* May substitute 12 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

Combine flour, oats, Equal®, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is very fine in texture and begins to stick together slightly. Stir in water and vanilla until well blended.

Reserve 3/4 cup flour mixture. Press remaining mixture firmly and evenly onto bottom of lightly sprayed 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in preheated 375F oven 12 to 15 minutes or until mixture is lightly browned at edge.

Remove from oven and spread with fruit. Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture, pressing gently into fruit. Bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until flour mixture is lightly browned on top. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into squares.

Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 108; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 27 mg; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 14 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat

SUGAR-FREE SUGAR COOKIES

This recipe begins, “Sugar cookies are one of the most popular holiday cookies to bake. Parents and kids can team up for a fun baking session – kids love using cookie cutouts!”

Recipe Yield: 24 servings; One (3-inch) cookie per serving.

To view this online, go to https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/sugar-free-sugar-cookies-cutouts

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup whipped cream cheese

27 packets Equal sweetener*

1/4 cup egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

Red and green sugar free gelatin

*Substitute 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Equal Spoonful for the packets.

Directions

Beat applesauce, butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

Mix in Equal, egg whites and extracts until combined.

Gradually mix in combined dry ingredients until blended.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray baking sheets with cooking spray; set aside.

Roll out dough on very lightly floured surface to 1/4th inch thickness.

Cut with your favorite holiday cookies cutters. Place on prepared baking sheets.

Sprinkle lightly with gelatin.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes.

Cool on pans 2 minutes.

Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 64; Fat: 3 g; Sodium: 74 mg; Cholesterol: 7 mg; Protein: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 9 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Fat, 1/2 Starch