Healthier Sugar Cookies

These were surprisingly delicious!!  I've tried healthy versions before and wasn't impressed.  As usual, I blended my sucanat in my MagicBullet.  Otherwise it doesn't "melt" and is grainy.  I didn't have cake flour so I put 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch in a 1/2 cup measure then added white flour to fill, then added the remaining 1/4 cup white flour.  This dough is VERY sticky.  I hesitated in adding more flour to the mix as I didn't want the cookies to come out hard.  But you will need to keep sprinkling flour on your work surface and the dough to keep from sticking.  The recipe states using small cookie cutters.  I wasn't sure if that was just to get a count for yield or if it would effect baking time.  I used all sizes and baked for 6 minutes.  They are so soft and have a good chew and big crumb.  But they aren't crumbly.  I don't know if you need to spray the pan, but with how sticky the dough was, I didn't want to risk it.  I am very impressed and will use this recipe again!  I totally ignored the "healthy" frosting idea and used canned frosting.  I do have a recipe for Sucanat Frosting, but I didn't want to bother with it today.  The cookies are sprinkled with colored sugar for heavens sake!  Any little changes I can make though is good for me.


Adapted from: EatingWell

3/4 cup soft whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup unsifted cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sucanat
2 tbsp oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Set a rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 350°F.  Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray.

Whisk whole-wheat flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns a nutty brown, about 1 minute, and pour into a mixing bowl.  Add sucanat and oil; beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  Mix in egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.  Divide the dough in half and press each piece into a disk.

Working with one disk at a time, roll dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch.  Cut out cookies with small (about 2- to 2 1/2-inch) cookie cutters.  Place the cookies about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies in the upper third of the oven, 1 sheet at a time, until slightly golden on the edges, 5 to 7 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the dough through Step 3; wrap well and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. (If frozen, return to room temperature before rolling out.) Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.