Curious Parents Party Resources

Food Bites

Bake Up a Holiday Tradition this December
By Laura Zurita, RD, LDN

‘Twas the holiday season, And all through the kitchen, The children were helping, Their fingers they were licking. Delicious treats were made, And lots of fun was had, Adding a healthy spin to tradition, Will make mom and dad glad. Laughing and learning together, For a family, it’s a treat, With the added bonus being, The cookies you will eat! So get your ingredients together, You don’t need another reason, To combine fun, health and family, To enjoy your holiday season!’

Close your eyes and go back in time. It’s the holiday season. You’re in the kitchen with mom, grandmom, or maybe an aunt. Remember the warm, buttery smell of cookies and how they melt in your mouth. You can practically taste the hot cocoa, cider or milk you drank to wash them down, too. Keep tradition alive by making baking a family event this season.

Besides being fun and rewarding for your taste buds, baking cookies or other holiday treats can be a great learning experience for children. Little ones can help stir in raisins or chocolate chips and decorate cut out cookies with sprinkles or icing. They can learn simple measurements with plastic measuring cups, cause and effect with the baking process, and learn about time by waiting for the final product.

Older children can benefit from more detailed directions and the concepts above, and also learn a little kitchen science such as why sugar makes cookies brown, or baking soda helps them rise.

Here are a few ideas to add a healthy twist to the holiday season:

• Use smaller cookie cutters or cut bars into smaller pieces.

• Substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose (white) flour to increase the fiber and whole grain content.

• Add dried cranberries or raisins in place of chocolate chips or mix in some half and half. 

• Use mini chocolate chips-same volume, less chocolate, big taste

• Try one of the sweetener-sugar blends made for baking. Cookies may vary slightly in color but may be the treat that many are looking for to have their cookie and eat them too.

• Pressed for time? Using store bought cookie dough, soften and stir in nuts or dried fruit like cranberries, dates, blueberries or raisins.  

• Replace fat with dried plums (a.k.a. prunes).

Nutty Holiday Biscotti

1/2 cup brown sugar-firmly packed   3 eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar       3 cups flour (all purpose)

1/2 cup softened butter        3 tsp baking powder

(Use 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts-almonds, pistachios, etc)

Set oven to 350F. Combine sugars and butter, beat until blended. Add eggs and blend. Gradually add flour and baking powder to sugar/butter mixture. Stir in nuts.

Shape dough into two 10-inch logs. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and flatten to 2-inch width.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Cut 1/2 inch slices across log. Lay cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 6-10 minutes, turn over, and bake another 3-5 minutes until crisp. Cool and store in tightly covered container.

Calories per cookie: 75             Grams of Fat: 2

Molasses Surprise

5 ounces (3/4 cup pitted prunes)    1/3 cup hot water

In blender or food processor, add prunes and hot water and puree 3-4 minutes. This “surprise” ingredient replaces the fat with delicious results.

Add to prune mixture and blend well:

1 cup sugar    1 egg          1/4 cup molasses

Add the following, mix well, and refrigerate dough wrapped in plastic wrap for 2 hours.

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour        1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger              1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cloves       2 teaspoons baking soda

Shape dough in 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Bake in 350F. oven on ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes.

Calories per cookie: 45        Grams of fat: 0

Laura Zurita is a registered and licensed dietitian, food technologist, and educator. Her passion is communicating information about nutrition and the science of food to all types of audiences. Currently she is a mostly stay-at-home mom in New Jersey.