Yummy Molasses Crackles
Nancy Caverly gave her grandmother's recipe for ginger molasses cookies a little makeover--reducing the butter and adding crystallized ginger for a spicy jolt.
Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Cynthia Farr-Weinfeld, a hypnotherapist and writer, started improving the nutritional profile of a friend's mother's ginger cookie recipe by substituting whole-wheat pastry flour for all-purpose flour and canola oil for shortening. “Experiment with these cookies,” she advises, “as they taste great either slightly underdone or crispy.” She calls them “the quickest cookies you'll ever bake.”
Fig 'n' Flax Thumbprint Cookies
We love how the ground flax adds a nutty flavor and the brown sugar caramelizes on the outside of these thumbprint cookies. Fig preserves make this cookie special; other fruit preserves could be used as well.
Dried-Fruit Bars
Make a batch of these easy homemade dried-fruit bars to tuck into your kid's lunchbox all week.
Cranberry-Orange Fruit Bars
These sweet-tart cranberry-orange bars are a great addition to a holiday cookie tray or cool weather grab-and-go treat.
Orange Spice Molasses Cookies
These spiced molasses cookies have added applesauce to help keep the cookies moist, and whole-wheat flour and oats to incorporate whole grains.
Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars
These easy apple-cinnamon fruit bars make a big batch--perfect for fall potlucks and parties.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Classic chocolate chip cookies get a fall update by mixing in pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Not only are these pumpkin cookies even more flavorful than regular chocolate chip cookies, they're also oh-so-soft and cakelike. Use chocolate chunks for big gooey bites of chocolate or opt for mini chocolate chips to ensure a bit of chocolate in each bite.
Almond & Honey-Butter Cookies
This thumbprint cookie uses honey as the only sweetener and tender ground almonds to replace much of the butter found in similar cookies. Just a touch of butter mixed with honey in the filling gives it a rich flavor without too much saturated fat.
Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies
In this healthy snickerdoodle cookie recipe, ginger, allspice and nutmeg combine with cinnamon to make this the best snickerdoodle you've ever had. The cookies get their signature look and texture from a little food science--baking soda makes them rise and cream of tartar prevents the sugar from binding together and causes the cookies to collapse and wrinkle.
Whoopie Pies
Classic whoopie pies combine a creamy filling sandwiched between cakey chocolate cookies. Some are filled with a marshmallow cream frosting while others are filled with whipped cream. Even those of us who grew up with the former fell in love with our lighter version of the whipped cream-filled treats.
Pineapple Coconut Bites
A retired writing professor and mother of two daughters, Jessie Grearson got inspiration for these mini tarts from a pineapple-coconut bar that her mother used to make. Her version successfully uses whole-wheat pastry flour and less butter and sugar.
