Traditional Gal Pals: A Holiday Favorite Gets a Healthy Makeover

Good Morning Ladies!

Well, here we are half way through December and only 9 days until Christmas. Hard to believe! I had the day off from work yesterday, so I was busy kicking the Christmas spirit into high-gear. I finished decking the halls, mailed out the Christmas cards & began my favorite holiday pastime, baking cookies! Yum! I found this recipe online and wanted to share with all of you.

My fiance was recently diagnosed with Diabetes & has been put on a very strict low-carb diet for the past few weeks. The timing of his diagnoses couldn't be worse with all of the overeating and sweet treats that usually are a big part of the season. Talk about irony. So in an effort to ease the pain & sugar withdrawals that he is currently experiencing, I've been doing my homework on low-cal, low-carb & sugar-free treats that will allow him to enjoy the Christmas season without the sugar & carbohydrate overload that most traditional holiday treats are full of.

So with no further ado, I introduce you to this low-carb cookie recipe. It uses almond flour (which isn't easy to find, but is sold at most health food grocery stores). Unlike regular flour, almond flour is higher in fiber and low in carbs since it consists of ground up almonds. I picked up a bag of it at Whole Foods yesterday. It was about $7 for a small bag, which is pricey, but you probably won't use it very often and it is worth the splurge if you want to surprise that special someone with dietary restrictions.

LOW-CARB SUGAR COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

1-1/4 cup almond flour
1 cup Splenda
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 large egg (slightly beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla
additional Splenda, for decorating

(I used sugar-free lime & cherry jello as sprinkles instead for a festive look)

INSTRUCTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Beat butter until smooth, add slightly beaten egg and vanilla blend together. Stir in flour and Splenda. Spoon onto a cookie sheet (about 1 tsp. full) and flatten each with fork or palm of hand. Sprinkle with additional Splenda or gelatin crystals. Bake for 8 minutes or until set but not brown. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet then remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 22 cookies.