26 DECEMBER 13, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Time-saving tips and healthy
tricks for holiday baking
’Tis the season for cookies,
cakes, candies and more!
Those delectable treats are
an iconic part of celebrations big and
small. Whether you want to cozy up by
the fi re with your favorite confection
or bring a few batches to the school
bake sale, you're bound to be baking
like crazy this time of year.
With visions of holiday cookies
dancing in your head, you know that
means you'll have to carve out time to
make all those goodies. Don't stress at
the thought of a packed schedule and
the temptation of too many unhealthy
treats. Registered dietitian Dawn Jackson
Blatner shares some smart tips to
save time while also creating better
baking that provides rich fl avors and
higher quality nutrients.
STREAMLINE BY
PLANNING AHEAD
First, consider designating a part
of your cabinet or pantry to your
holiday baking supplies and let family
members know it's off limits. There's
nothing worse than starting a recipe
only to realize an ingredient you need
became a snack two days prior. Those
nuts, dried fruit and chocolate can be
tempting! So, stock up on high-quality
ingredients and add a note to deter
tempted snackers if necessary.
Another tip: Bake what you can
ahead of time. "There are many holiday
cookies that freeze beautifully,"
says Blatner. "That means you can start
your baking weeks ahead of time and
be ready for celebrations of all kinds.
Just remember to thaw the day prior so
that your baked goods are ready to go."
Get better results with better eggs
"Fresh ingredients are the key to superior
baking and eggs are the perfect
example," says Blatner. She recommends
Eggland's Best eggs because they
are the only eggs that have double the
omega-3s compared to ordinary eggs.
Omega-3s are classifi ed as "essential"
fatty acids because they are important
for maintaining good health and the
body cannot make them on its own.
Omega-3s also enhance baking as they
improve emulsifying qualities.
More than just Omega-3s, Eggland's
Best eggs have 25 percent less saturated
fat, six times more vitamin D, 10 times
more vitamin E and more than double
the amount of vitamin B12. That means
no matter what recipe you use them in,
you'll be improving the nutritional
profi le of your holiday treats.
USE SIMPLE SWAPS FOR
HEALTHIER RESULTS
Making more nutritious cookies
can be as simple as swapping out a
few key ingredients. Consider chocolate,
a popular ingredient in holiday
desserts. Instead of buying milk or
white chocolate, use dark chocolate
in recipes. "Dark chocolate is lower in
sugar content and contains important
antioxidants that are good for your
heart," Blatner says.
Another smart swap is to switch
out some or all of your recipe's white
all-purpose flour for whole-wheat
alternatives. This pumps up the fi ber
content of your recipes. "Whole-wheat
fl our is a good option to keep on hand
in the pantry," says Blatner. "For
cookies with a more delicate texture,
consider using a fi nely milled wholewheat
pastry fl our."
Find recipes with low prep time or
prep-ahead qualities
Holiday baking is a fun tradition
whether you do it solo or plan a
cookie day with the kids. To save
time and reduce stress, look for simpler
recipes or ones that offer you
the ability to do steps ahead of time.
With this Eggland's Best recipe for
classic cut-out sugar cookies, you
can make the dough the day before
so you're ready to dive into the fun
the day of, baking and decorating
the cookies.
HOLIDAY CUT-OUT SUGAR
COOKIES
Ingredients:
Cookies:
3/4 cup butter (soft ened)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
2 Eggland's Best Eggs (large)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
6 cups white fl our
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 cup Eggland's Best Liquid Egg
Whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
small squeeze of lemon juice
Directions:
Cookies:
In a large mixing bowl with a hand
mixer or in a stand mixer with a paddle
attachment, cream together the
butter, shortening and sugar until
fl uff y and pale in color.
Add in the eggs, vanilla and sour
cream and mix until combined.
Add the baking powder, salt and
fl our (one cup at a time), mixing until
everything is evenly incorporated.
Cover and chill the dough, preferably
overnight for best results.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. On a lightly
fl oured surface roll the dough out to
a 1/4- or 1/2-inch thickness.
Cut into holiday shapes with a cookie
cutter.
Transfer cookies to a lightly greased
cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and move cookies
to a rack to cool.
Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl with a hand
mixer or in a stand mixer with a paddle
attachment, cream the butter until
fl uff y.
Add the confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at
a time, and mix until combined.
Add the salt, egg whites, vanilla and
lemon juice and beat until ingredients
are incorporated.
Spread over cooled cookies, sprinkle
with colored sugar and serve
immediately.
Courtesy BPT
HOLIDAY GUIDE