Holiday Sugar Cookies

From EatingWell: December 1997 — Subscribe Now!

These festive sugar cookies are proof that you can add whole-wheat flour to a baked good without anyone ever knowing it. We've replaced some of the butter with healthier canola oil, cutting the saturated fat by about 75%. They freeze well so you may want to consider making extras to have on hand for a sweet treat.

About 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | Low carbohydrate | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup unsifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Icing

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring, (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons hot water
Colored sprinkles, (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
To make cookies: Combine granulated sugar, butter and oil in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until smooth. Sift whole-wheat flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt together over the sugar mixture; mix on low speed until just combined. Divide the dough in half and press each piece into a disk. Roll out dough on a well-floured surface to an even 1/8-inch thickness.
Cut out cookies with a 3-inch shaped cutter, rerolling and cutting any scraps. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake in upper third of oven, 1 sheet at a time, until slightly golden on the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
Meanwhile, make icing: Sift confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Stir in corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, a few drops food coloring (if using) and hot water; mix until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add a few more drops of water.
To decorate cookies, use a pastry brush to paint with the icing, then top with sprinkles, if using. Let stand until the icing hardens. (If storing iced cookies, layer between sheets of wax paper.)

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze for longer storage.

Nutrition

Per iced cookie: 84 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 9 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 41 mg sodium; 19 mg potassium.

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate