Low-Sugar Christmas Cookies

Instead of taking the time to scoop individual cookies, bake a superfast cookie “pie,” and then cut it into wedges.

Three kinds of ginger define this zippy cookie, which cookbook author and culinary instructor Andrea Nguyen has been baking and tweaking since the mid-1990s from Barbara Tropp’s China Moon Cookbook. For good results, have the butter at moderate room temperature (64°F to 68°F), not melting in the wrapper. If you don’t have crystallized ginger, they’ll still be tasty.

This recipe is an adaptation of Italian amaretti. It calls for macadamias, but hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or pine nuts would also be good. Using nuts in baking allows you to incorporate their heart-healthy fats—and satisfying texture. If you are sensitive to ginger, use the lower end of the called-for range.

When shaping these buttery cookies, do not try to form perfectly smooth balls. If the dough is handled too much, the cookies will become heavy and dense. Let them be free-form and show off that they’re homemade. Imperfect usually means that they’re perfectly delicious.

These oatmeal drop cookies are easy to make and taste fantastic.

Almond Lace pairs deliciously with an afternoon cup of tea. These crisp, crunchy cookies will leave you pining for more.

This isn't your average chocolate chip cookie, and you'll be glad of it. Tahini adds a delectable warmth to this cookie dough, which blunts the sweetness of the white chocolate. If you don't like white chocolate, bittersweet or dark chocolate would make a delicious substitute. 

This reader recipe was developed by Marcie Dixon of Arlington Heights, Illinois, who recommends using bittersweet chocolate instead of milk chocolate for these decadent cookies. "Not only does it have less sugar," she said, "but it has a deeper flavor, too." Double the recipe and keep these 94-calorie cookies in the freezer for when you're in need of a healthy treat.