Sugarless Almond Meringue Cookies

By: Jean Jitomir

Almond Cookies - Sugar Free

I developed the following recipe for mother's day when my mom was on a low-carb diet. Though I am not an advocate of the particular diet she chose, I wanted to appease her sweet tooth, which had been neglected for nearly a month. I found that I needed about double the Splenda sugar equivalent to get an acceptable taste; the texture of these meringues is more delicate that the traditional version, due to the lack of sugar in the recipe.

The following recipe will require making an egg white foam and a hand mixer.

Pre-heat oven to 275 F
Ingredients:
4 egg whites (fresh, room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1½ cups Splenda

Directions:
1. Beat egg whites and extracts at a medium speed until thick and foamy.
2. Add the cream of tartar.
3. Slowly add the Splenda about ¼ cup at a time until stiff peaks form (turn mixer on high about after all Splenda is added).
4. Place large spoonful of the mixture on a large cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and completely dry*
6. Turn the oven off and allow cookies to cool in the oven for one hour.
Nutrition: Variable based on the size of the cookies, but the only nutrition in the recipe is from the egg whites (about 12g protein total) and some starch mixed with the sucralose sweetener in Splenda.

* Meringues cookies do not fair well in humid environments; do not set out on a plate. Will keep for a week or two in an air tight container.

Christmas Cookies: Santa's Favorites

Cookies. Who doesn't love them? We dip them in milk. We cover them with icing and sprinkles. We make them in various shapes and sizes and devour them with abandon, not giving a second thought to their caloric content.

Why? Because they're delicious!

We eat cookies year 'round and don't need an excuse to crave them, but the holiday season is the perfect time to overindulge. No cookie is better than a freshly baked Christmas cookie, after all. We bake them with our children while singing Christmas songs or decorating the Christmas tree. We sneak late-night bites while wrapping gifts and stuffing stockings. We leave a plate of cookies, along with a glass of milk, for Santa to nibble on during his Christmas Eve visit.

Of all the food and drink we associate with the holidays, none are more essential and revered than the Christmas cookie. Which is why we're bringing you a recipe you'll want to try in your kitchen come December. Not just any run of the mill cookie can be a Christmas cookie, after all. You want something special when you celebrate the occasion with family and friends, and we're happy to oblige by showing you how to make the best Christmas cookie on the block (no offense to your grandma's time-tested recipe!). And, to boot, they're easy and quick to make!

Santa's Midnight Snack (or Rudolph's Sugar Cookie)
3/4 cup butter-flavored shortening1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Icing and sprinkles

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large mixer bowl at medium speed with electric mixer. Mix until light and creamy. Next, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix on low speed until well blended. Cover dough and chill for one hour. Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut in desired shapes (Christmas trees, stockings, Santas, gift boxes, etc.). Place on baking sheets and bake 8-10 minutes, until edges are golden brown. After cooling, decorate cookies with icing and sprinkles as desired.

Did you know that Santa's also a peanut butter fanatic? That's right, jolly ol' St. Nick can't get enough peanut butter fudge in that jelly like tummy of his. As long as you don't have any elves at home allergic to peanut products, give this recipe a try (not a cookie, we know, so we're fudging a bit on this one ... but, hey, this recipe is super easy and super tasty!):

Penultimate Peanut Butter Fudge
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 stick margarine
Pinch of salt
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar, milk, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Boil, stirring frequently, until it forms a soft ball in cold water. Remove from stove and add peanut butter and vanilla. Beat until creamy and pour into buttered 9x9 pan. Let cool before cutting.

Peppermint Cookie Recipe

The peppermint cookie recipe has a rich flavor and a great looking pink glaze. A great way to use up all those leftover candy canes!

Ingredients
Cookie:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, softened1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract1
1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar2 tablespoons salted butter, softened1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract1-2 tablespoons milk2-3 drops red food coloringpeppermint candy canes, crushed

Hardware:
Large bowl
Medium bowl
Cookie sheets
Plastic wrap
Mixer

Step 1: In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, and peppermint extract. With an electric mixer, beat at medium speed until creamy.
Step 2: Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour and cornstarch, beat until well mixed.
Step 3: Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (30-60 minutes).
Step 4: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 5: Shape dough into teaspoon size balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Step 6: Bake cookies 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; transfer cookies to cooling surface.

Glaze:
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, peppermint extract, and enough milk for desired glazing consistency.
Step 2: Stir in a few drops of red food coloring. Drizzle over cookies.
Step 3: While glaze is sticky sprinkle with crushed candy cane pieces.
Makes 30 cookies.
For more information on baking procedures and hardware used in this recipe see our Baking Tips section.


For more great Christmas cookie recipes visit http://kicked-up-cookie-recipes.com/christmas-cookie-recipes.html

Refrigerator Cookie Recipes

I remember getting excited whenever we would get a box of Velveeta because that meant we would be getting one of mom’s refrigerator cookie recipes. She would always put the refrigerator cookies in the Velveeta boxes in the refrigerator. Probably a use for those boxes that we would never even think of today. It, of course, makes the cookies square, which allows for easier packing into containers. It also means that you do not have to mess with trying to get the cookies into a perfect roll. Also no danger of the kids putting something on top of the cookies and smashing them. I always liked coconut so the oatmeal refrigerator cookie recipe was one of my favorites.

Oatmeal Refrigerator Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup coconut

Cream together the sugars and the shortening in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla to the creamed mixture. Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) into the creamed mixture. Mix in the oatmeal, nuts, and coconut. Put wax paper or plastic wrap into Velveeta boxes and push the cookie mixture into the boxes. Refrigerate the cookies overnight. The next day take the refrigerator cookies out and slice them (about 1/8 inch thick). Then place the cookies on cookie sheets and bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Refrigerator Cookies
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Mix together the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar to this mixture. Add in the egg and mix well. Alternate adding the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking soda) with the evaporated milk. Put wax paper or plastic wrap into Velveeta boxes and push the cookie mixture into the boxes. Refrigerate the cookies overnight. The next day take the refrigerator cookies out and slice them (about 1/8 inch thick). Then place the cookies on cookie sheets and bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.

If you work outside of the home, this is a great cookie recipe to throw together on Friday night. Then you can have a fun time baking the cookies with your kids on Saturday.