Best Christmas Cookies
Another great testimonial about this lifestyle.
Click HERE to get your 30 day meal plans and start your transformation!
SWEETENERS
If you are wondering why I use the sweeteners that I do, please listen to this great podcast of a Doctor discussing why these sweeteners are a better choice that honey, coconut sugar or maple syrup, click HERE to listen.
Sweetener Tips
My recipes will call for Swerve or erythritol and stevia glycerite. In any recipe you can use Swerve, ZSweet, Truvia, Organic Zero, Xylitol or Just Like Sugar. In order to use a different product, use the same amount of sweetener for the amount of erythritol in the recipe and omit the stevia (except for Organic Zero, that is only erythritol and you will still need stevia for sweetness).
1 cup erythritol and 1 tsp stevia = 1 cup Swerve (measures cup for cup like sugar)
1 cup erythritol and 1 tsp stevia = 1 cup ZSweet
1 cup erythritol and 1 tsp stevia = 1 cup Xylitol
1 cup erythritol and 1 tsp stevia = 1 cup Just Like Sugar
1 cup erythritol and 1 tsp stevia = 1 cup Organic Zero and 1 tsp stevia
 |
| More Tips and Recipes like this in The Art of Healthy Eating: Kids |
Glycemic Index of Sweeteners
“HEALTHIFIED” CHRISTMAS COOKIES
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cream cheese
3/4 cup confectioners Swerve
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp extract (orange/lemon/vanilla/almond)
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
Crushed pecans
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and the cream cheese for 1 minute. Add the natural sweetener and the baking powder and continue mixing until creamy. Add the egg, extract and salt and mix again. Stir in the flours, drop the dough onto a greased piece of parchment, roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Roll the log in the crushed nuts and then wrap each in a piece of parchment and chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. Remove the parchment and cut the log into 1 centimeter thick cookies. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Makes 24 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Cookies = 159 calories, 10g fat, 2.8g protein, 23.6g carbs, 0.6g fiber (23 effective carbs)
“Healthified” Cookies = 115 calories, 10g fat, 2.8g protein, 2.8g carbs, 1.4g fiber (1.4 effective carbs)
Can I use JLS?
Yes, that will work. 🙂
These cookies look great!! Thanks for sharing the sweetener info too, very helpful! I’m going try the Just Like Sugar & cross my fingers for no ill side effects. 😉
Thanks! 🙂
My weakness has always been frosted sugar cookies (cut out ones). Would this recipe work for that? Or would the recipe you posted for the Somoa cookie dough work better?
I have a cookie cutout recipe in this cookbook. 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0988512416/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new
I wonder if adding sf peanut butter would be a fun variation?
I think that would be worth a try. 🙂
These look great, cant wait to make them. Question, though, when I look up your The Art of Healthy Eating: Sweets, it says that the price (on Amazon) is $648.75. Can that be right?
I have a new printing (you can see in the middle of that page that it says “There is a newer edition of this item:”. Click there and you can get it from me for $24.99 (seller: Maria Mind Body Healthy LLC). Thanks!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0988512424/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new
Hi Maria,
I was hoping you could help me; I have the Jillian michaels protein powders and i was wondering if you could help me if they are safe to drink? I am a college student very very tihght on budget and is all i can addord.
THANK YOU; HERE ARE THE INGREDIENTS:
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 27 g
Servings Per Container 14
Amount Per Serving
Calories 100Calories from Fat 15
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2 g 3%
Saturated Fat 0.50 g
3%
Cholesterol 45 mg 15%
Sodium 60 mg 2%
Potassium 150 mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 7 g 2%
Dietary Fiber 3 g
11%
Sugars 3 g
Protein 15 g 31%
Calcium 11%
Phosphorus 11%
Magnesium 5%
(-) Information is currently not available for this nutrient.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:**
** Percent Daily Values listed below are intended for adults and children over 4 years of age. Foods represented or purported to be for use by infants, children less than 4 years of age, pregnant women, or lactating women shall use the RDI’s that are specified for the intended group provided by the FDA.
Calories: 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less than 65g 80g
Sat. Fat Less than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less than 2400mg 2400mg
Potassium 3500mg 3500mg
Total Carbohydrate 300mg 375mg
Dietary Fiber 25mg 30mg
Calories per gram:
Fat 9·Carbohydrate 4·Protein 4
Ingredients
Top of Page
Nutrition Information. Proprietary Protein Blend 19G, %Daily Value Not Established: Whey Protein Blend (Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate). Bcaa Blend (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine). Ingredients: Proprietary Protein Blend ((Whey Protein Blend (Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate), Bcaa Blend (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine)), Buttermilk Powder, Inulin, Oat Fiber, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Fructose, Xanthan Gum, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Stevia Extract (Stevia Rebaudiana) (Leaf). Contains Milk And Soy Ingredients. Contains Small Amounts Of Soy Lecithin To Improve Mixability. Typical Amino Acid Profile (Milligrams Per 27 G Scoop****): Essential Amino Acids: Histidine 309 Mg, Isoleucine 952 Mg, Leucine 1,744 Mg, Lysine, 1,262 Mg, Methionine 302 Mg, Phenylalanine 463 Mg, Threonine 1,086 Mg, Tryptophan***** 232 Mg, Valine 915 Mg. Nonessential Amino Acids: Alanine 624 Mg, Arginine 418 Mg, Aspartic Acid 1,586 Mg, Cysteine 294 Mg, Glutamic Acid 2,005 Mg, Glycine 263 Mg, Proline 812 Mg, Serine 806 Mg, Tyrosine 423 Mg. ***Daily Value Not Established For Sugars. ****Approximate Values. *****L-Tryptophan Is Naturally Occurring, Not Added.
I don’t like that there is fructose in there. I would also like to know if the whey is from hormone free organic cows and how it is processed (cold filter). 🙂
Do you of any cheaper whey? I cant,afford jay robb 🙁
Here are some other options.
http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=56
Check out this chart from the brand I use. It compares itself to other popular brands. I think Maria would approve. 🙂 It is the best I have found and only $1.25 per serving!
http://www.energyfirst.com/site/files/whey/whey-protein-powder.htm
You can purchase from this page too. 🙂
I buy in bulk to save money. This product is $1.40 per ounce and if you buy Jay Robb 80 ounce it is $1.32 per ounce. 🙂
http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20/detail/B00333SMVK
This company offers in bulk too. 🙂 It does not offer an egg white protein and only has chocolate or vanilla whey. If you buy 4 two pound bottles (you can mix up between chocolate & vanilla) you get a 15% discount and they ship for free! It comes out to about $1.20 and ounce. Both great deals!! Just personal preference. 🙂 Sometimes tough to squueeze out over a hundred bucks out of the food budget at once!
I had a question…does the benefits of being undenatured whey get compromised when you bake with it?
Hi Maria,
These look great! I’m thinking of having some colored red and green to make it more festive. Question do you have to use confectioners Swerve? I only have regular Swerve currently or Ideal Confectioners…
Oh I also have Just Like Sugar which is pretty confection-y
You can use regular swerve. I just like the finer texture of the confectioners. Otherwise you could grind the granular swerve to make it finer. Just like sugar would work too. 🙂
Luz, use a coffee grinder and it will turn any of these sweeteners into a powdered sugar in about 30 seconds 🙂
Can you clarify the Swerve substitution for your recipes is it 1:1 or 1 cup erythritol to 1 1/4 cup Swerve. You mention both in this post?? Switching over to Swerve and want to get it right. Thank you.
That was a typo. It is fixed above. It is 1:1 Swerve for 1 cup erythritol and 1 tsp stevia. 🙂
I did not use the Stevia. Forgot. I baked at the right temperature for 15 minutes, they were really soft and doughy. When I took them out of the oven they were still soft and crumbly. What did I do wrong?
Your photos are gorgeous! What a good looking recipe!!!
Thanks France! 🙂
where do you get the sweeteners? I’m interested in trying to make these but this is all new to me.
You can get the Swerve here and if you use the code MARIA15 you get 15% off! 🙂
http://www.swervesweetener.com/113.html
Made these tonight. I don’t care for “regular” shortbread but liked these a lot. I didn’t have pecans so I ground some hazelnuts and rolled the log in that. They still tasted good. My husband who is a shortbread lover, really enjoyed these with a hot cup of Krakus (chicory root coffee substitute).
Thanks! Glad you liked them. 😉
I live in Canada and am trying to buy your books on Amazon.com but I am being told that they can’t be delivered to my address. Is there any other way to get your books?
Hi, unfortunately Amazon controls that. You could email me and I can quote you a price to ship direct from me. 🙂 craigmaria@gmail.com
Hi Maria. I made these yesterday with 1/2 cup Swerve and 1/4 cup Just Like Sugar (for Baking) because I don’t like the taste of Swerve alone. They were really soft and fell apart after 15 minutes of cooking and even after 20 minutes. I cooked them even longer and raised the oven temperature, which helped, but they are still soft. I was hoping for a more shortbread like texture. Any advice? Maybe 2 egg whites instead of the whole egg?
If you are looking for are short bread consistency, then you could try the egg yolks and cooking longer. 🙂
These turned out so good! My husband said ” you have to make more of these” Thank you, these taste like Christmas. Thank goodness I froze half for Christmas, or they would be all gone by now.
Thank you Amy! 🙂
Are these cookies, crunchy. I need a crunchy cookie recipe!
If you are looking for are short bread consistency, then you could try the egg yolks and cooking longer. 🙂
Would this cookie hold up to making a depression and adding a small amount of jam? Sort of like a thumprint cookie?
I think that would work. Happy Baking! 🙂
Absolutely! I just made these in thumbprint cookies with sugar free blackberry and strawberry preserves. Delicious! I also made them with Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips…yummy! I want to try decorating with frosting and ganache next!
I was just listening to the podcast on sweeteners and he makes it sound like Stevia or ya con only is the way to go and really looks down on the erythritol. why do you add the erythritol with the stevia vs. stevia by itself? Do you need the powder/granular substance to help solidify the food products? I feel even moer confused now.
Erythritol add bulk. I only use non-GMO erythritol which is a good alternative. 🙂
I made these. They are very good. Couldn’t get mine to brown as nice as your photo. Do you need to get the cookie roll to room temperature first? I tried 325 for 15 minutes the second time around. Better, but not as pretty as yours! 🙂
I do have a convection oven, so maybe that helps. 🙂
Hi Maria,
When using your convection oven in your recipes, do you use the straight convection, or convection bake?
Hi, mine only has convection bake. 🙂
can i sub liquid splenda?
Thanx for ur post. plzzz tell me wht is the main benifits of WP, nd wht is the effect of WP on health ??
Here is some more info on Whey Protein. 🙂
http://mariahealth.blogspot.com/2011/02/why-whey-protein-you-ask.html
Made these today and they are a HIT. Gracias Maria!!!!
Thank you! 🙂
do you like the product sold at most grocery stores, “stevia in the Raw” and does it work in your recipes. thank-you k.j.
It depends on what product of theirs it is. The one that is supposed to be cup for cup with sugar has Maltodextrin in it which is BAD. 🙂
To begin replacing traditional white sugar, I would like to purchase one of the above sweeteners–considering Swerve or ZSweet–but, after reading reviews, I am concerned about digestive issues and the often mentioned “cooling affect.” Any suggestions, information, or experiences would be helpful. Maria, I really enjoy your blog and Facebook page–it’s intriguing and thoughtful and informative!
Hi, If you are concerned about that I would suggest Swerve. It has a flavor closer to sugar than ZSweet.
Thank you!:)
Thanks so much–ordering today!
I was wondering if I could substitute Monk Fruit for other sweeteners (Swerve, Just Like Sugar, etc)? Swerve and Just Like Sugar are so expensive! I don’t like Stevia Glycerite, could I just add more Stevia if I can’t use Monk Fruit?
Yes, Monk Fruit will work. You might have to find the right ratio depending on what brand of Monk Fruit you get. 🙂
Can you recommend a substitute for cream cheese?
That is a tough one. You can try coconut cream (cream off the top of a can of coconut milk). 🙂
Good day! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for
this site? I’m getting tired of WordPress because I’ve had problems with hackers
and I’m looking at alternatives for another platform. I would be fantastic if you could point me
in the direction of a good platform.
Made these for christmas…My dads fav was always ‘icebox cookies” that my grandmother made. These completely fooled me!! I love them. a new staple!
Maria,
Have you heard of the sweetener Lakanto? I was wondering if this is a good sugar substitute to use. I have tried it before and like it but wanted to make sure you thought it was ok before I buy it since it is a little pricey.
Yes, it is a good option. 🙂
http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20?node=13&page=2
angela, how is the taste of lakanto? does it taste like swerve, wit that coolness? and can you cook and bake with it just like you could real sugar? thanks so much angela
It does NOT have the coolness that swerve does. Yes you can cook with it. They have a white kind and a light brown kind. I personally prefer the light brown one. I think it tastes a little like coconut sugar if you’ve ever had it. I like it in my coffee better than swerve but still use swerve in baking cakes because I think it is cheaper but the lakanto is better for baking cookies where I have found swerve’s coolness to interfere. You should try it. Buy a small bag and try it out.
There is no coolness no. I like it. I don’t think it melts like sugar though. 🙂
Also, it measures cup for cup just like sugar.
you are very kind. thank you for the helpful tips. I will give it a try. thanks again.
Hello Maria! I just noticed that you had YACON SYRUP listed in your Amazon store…I have every single books you have published to date and I’m wondering what would be the equivalent in Yacon as a substitution for the other “sugars” you list in your recipe…..e.g. if you list ½ up of Swerve for instance, what would be the bacon equivalent?…
I have a bottle of bacon at home and I’m wondering how I can further use it in your glorious recipes!…..thanks again, M.J.
I really only use it where that brown sugar flavor is needed (BBQ sauce) and just use in little. I don’t use it as a full sugar substitute. 🙂
I was reading the article on sweeteners and am confused because he seems anti-stevia. And you use it so are there only some Stevias you recommend?
I don’t totally agree with what he has to say, but there are some good things said. I like Stevia and erythritol (also monk fruit). 🙂
Maria, I am metric-challenged. How thick is 1 cm, please? Thanks for all your work!
About 1/4 inch thick.
Dairy free version?
These are DELICIOUS! I mixed a little powdered Swerve with some lemon juice for a light glaze. The perfect recipe for holiday cookies! Thank you!
Thank you!!!