Holiday Cookies! My favorite Molasses-Spice one…ever.

GINGER-MOLASSES COOKIES

If you want crispy, crinkly, snappy ginger cookies, these aren’t them.  But soft, chewy-cakey, velvety?  Gotcha covered.

This is my favorite spice cookie and it gets BETTER as it ‘ages’.  Make these a couple days ahead of when you want to serve them, wrap tightly, and put away for a sweet nap.  So comforting.

Pour yourself a cup of Chai tea and slip one of these beauties onto your saucer – sit back, soothe your soul, and overdose on spices. The perfect way to spend a Holiday afternoon.

Lots of photos…just cause they are so gorgeous!

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1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup Whey Low granular

1/2 cup packed Whey Low Gold

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup mild molasses

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger (yes…a Tablespoon)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

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In a large bowl beat the butter, cream cheese, WL granular, and WL Gold until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, water, and molasses.

In a small bowl combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, soda, and salt. Add all at once to the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Cover and chill dough for at least 2 hours – I do it overnight so it’s very cold.

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Preheat oven to 325 degrees. If you can, use parchment paper to line a sheet with. Drop dough by a very rounded tablespoon (or 1/3 cup – seriously.  I love BIG cookies!)  onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with WL granular. Bake for 10-12 minutes depending on the size, or until just set.   (I sprinkle with granular again while they are still warm.)  If using paper, simply slide off entire thing onto a rack and cool completely.  If not, let them sit on the baking sheet for a moment to set and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

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Makes 30 cookies.

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Per Cookie: Calories 81, Fat 4 gr, Protein 1 gr, Sugars 5 gr, NET Carbs 10 gr, Sodium 11 mg

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Colored Sprinkling ‘Sugar’…

COLORED ‘SUGAR’

How fun!  The photo above shows the standard colors that come in a box of food coloring…but don’t stop there.  Become your own colorist and experiment to make fabulous custom/designer shades for all your baking needs.  (See chart below.)

I use Whey Low Granular and it works beautifully.  But, since WL seems to be more ‘moist’  - at least in my climate – left out, it tends to clump.  So I also added a touch of cornstarch to help keep it dry and clump free with the added moisture of the liquid coloring.

I can’t wait to use this on top of a snowy-white low-sugar Cream Cheese Frosting-iced cake!

EDIT:  My friend said she just used the color POWDERS with Splenda Granular and it worked very well.  Good to know!!

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1/4 cup Whey Low Granular

2 drops liquid food coloring  (more drops for intense color)

1/4 teaspoon cornstarch – (if you will be storing the mixture or adding more than 2 drops color)

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In a small bowl place the WL (and cornstarch, if needed) and add the drops of coloring.  With the back of a spoon smoosh it around and stir until all lumps of color are gone.   Store in a sealable bag, or airtight jar/bowl.

This is a chart for custom colors using the basic red/green/yellow/blue that we can find anywhere.  Specialty stores will have more colors to choose from and thus give you an even greater range.  However, with the basic four you can make just about any color imaginable.

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Turquoise: 4 Drops of Blue, 1 Drop of Green
Brown: 5 Drops of Red, 6 Drops of Yellow, 3 Drops of Green
Purple: 1 Drop of Red, 1 Drop of Blue
Lime Green: 3 Drops of Yellow, 1 Drop of Green
Pistachio Green: 1 Drop of Yellow, 4 Drops of Green
Orange: 2 Drops of Red, 3 Drops of Yellow,
Peach: 1 Drop of Red, 2 Drops of Yellow
Salmon: 3 Drops of Red, 2 Drops of Yellow
Black: Equal amounts of all colors.

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Blonde IS more fun…

PEANUT BRITTLE

…when it’s in the form of this golden, peanut-studded and buttery candy!

This is the recipe that was from the Steel’s Nature Sweet flyer (they called for pecans) that I received when I first became aware of this product…and if sugar alcohols don’t bother you, it is wonderful to use.  I can’t eat SA’s any longer so I make it with Whey Low Granular, now.

The nuts can be varied – walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamia, or even mixed – and dipping them halfway in chocolate…WOW.

 

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This is one of those things that really is easier with a candy thermometer.  You can find them under $5 and it’s so worth it.  I tried to guess and use the cold water test, but burned my precious WL in the process.  Taking it right up to the hard-crack stage is perfect – that is 302-303 degrees.  It is darker than the Nature Sweet was when I made the brittle with that – so the eye test doesn’t work with Whey Low.  I cooked it the second time to 300 degrees because it started to smoke, and the brittle snapped when I broke it, but became chewy in the mouth.  Very good…but not perfect.

Golden brown – (actually  a little darker than it shows up on the photo), 303-304 degrees (RIGHT on the hard crack line of my thermometer)…FABULOUS!

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1 stick of real butter

1 cup Whey Low Granular (or Maltitol – see note**)

1 1/3 cups roasted, salted peanuts OR other roasted, salted nuts

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

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Butter a cookie sheet or lightly coat with vegetable cooking spray and set aside.  Have your vanilla and peanuts ready to add.

In a small saucepan melt the butter and WL Granular over medium heat.  (I highly recommend using a candy thermometer…attach it to the side of the pan so it is IN the liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pan.  This will give you a false reading.)

Stirring occasionally, allow to come to a boil.  Boil until the temperature reaches 302-303 degrees or the Hard Crack stage.  This took about 5-6 minutes after coming to a boil.  Immediately remove from the heat and, working quickly,  add in the vanilla (it will spit and sputter – be careful!) and the peanuts.    Pour onto the prepared pan and spread the nuts evenly.  Allow to cool until hardened.  Break into shards and store in an airtight container.

Stats:  Nevermind…!  Have two or three pieces as a treat over the Holidays.  You’ll live.

 

**When making this with maltitol (Nature Sweet brand was what I used) I didn’t use a thermometer, but cooked it to be slightly darker than the roasted peanuts I was using.  It was NOT as dark as I had to get it with the Whey Low, and I’m not sure what the temp was.  I did use the water test – drizzle a couple drops into ice water and it should instantly turn hard and ‘crack-able’.

 

 

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