The Perfect Holiday Snack: Gingerbread Grahams
The flavors of gingerbread are one of my favorite parts about the holiday season—there's just something magical about molasses and spice. And while I'll never turn down a sugary gingerbread cookie, I was interested to see if I could create a more savory snack. After all, I'd just experimented with gingerbread croutons, and those were so good I ate them straight from the cooling rack.
Eating healthy should still be delicious.
As a kid, one of my all-time favorite snacks was Teddy Grahams. Cute, cinnamon-y, and slightly sweetened with honey, they were always a welcomed addition to lunchtime. Using them as my inspiration, I decided to create a whole-wheat gingerbread version—subbing molasses for honey, amping up the spices, and cutting mini gingerbread men from the dough. Kids will love cutting out fun holiday shapes, and making them from scratch eliminates the laundry list of additives.
These little guys aren't too sweet, so they can act as a snack that doesn't feel like dessert. Dip 'em in peanut butter or even pair them with cheese—they'd be a fun addition to any holiday platter.
Makes about 50 grahams, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
Ingredients3/4 cup whole-wheat flour1/2 cup all-purpose flour1/4 cup light brown sugar1/2 tsp. baking powder1/4 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. ground cinnamon1 tsp. ground ginger1/4 tsp. ground allspice1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg1/4 tsp. ground cloves1/4 tsp. salt4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted2 1/2 tbsp. molasses1/4 cup cold water
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt until combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the unsalted butter, molasses, and water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until a soft dough forms. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour or so.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out about 1/4 inch thick. Use a small cookie cutter to cut shapes of your choice, combining and re-rolling scraps as necessary.
Step 3: Place the cut-outs on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until slightly puffed and the bottoms are golden-brown.
Step 4: Let cool completely, then pile in a dish to serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Serves 10 (5 cookies per serving)Calories 131; Fat 4.9g (sat 3g, mono 1.2g, poly 0.3g); Protein 2g; Carbs 21g; Cholesterol 12mg; Calcium 37mg; Iron 1 mg; Sodium 293mg; Total Sugars 8g
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