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  3. Healthy Holiday Kids' Treats

Healthy Holiday Kids' Treats

October 13, 2010
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Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
From apple pie to gingerbread cookies to pillowy cupcakes, our festive desserts will delight the young—and the young at heart—but with far less sugar, fat, and calories than traditional holiday fare. Healthier ingredients enrich classic desserts for a result that is simply spectacular. Whether you're looking for the perfect teachers' gift or the perfect late-night snack for a persnickety Santa, your kids will enjoy preparing treats for everyone on their list—not to mention themselves.
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Molasses Crinkle Cookies

Credit: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Molasses Crinkle Cookies

These soft, chewy, beautifully spiced gingerbread cookies look like they just took a romp in fresh snow—a holiday look that saves you the trouble of having to ice each one. A dual coat of granulated and powdered sugar will help the slightly sticky dough balls hold their shape and get that crinkled texture.

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Ginger Coins

Credit: Photo: Justin Walker
View Recipe: Ginger Coins

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.

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Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Salted Caramel Apple Pie

A quick homemade caramel sauce that’s folded into fresh apple slices and baked in a whole-grain crust takes this classic holiday pie to the next level. A hint of salt in the sauce intensifies the apple flavor and balances the sweetness. Apples contain a natural thickener called pectin; grating some of the fruit will ensure a gooey, cohesive mixture once baked. Crisp, sweet Fuji apples bake beautifully and will contrast the salty caramel. You can also use Cripps Pink or Honeycrisp apples.

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Gingerfolk Cookies

Credit: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Gingerfolk Cookies

This nuanced, modern take on a holiday favorite calls on you to think outside the box when it comes to style and decoration – but tastes even more amazing than you would remember.

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Fudgy Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies

Credit: Photo: Linda Pugliese
View Recipe: Fudgy Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies

When a soft, fudgy cookie meets crunchy candy cane shards, it's a match made in heaven. Don't underestimate the beauty of a simple cardboard hat box (find one at your local craft store). Add a pop of color with a bright ribbon, and tag the recipe with a handwritten greeting.

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Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes

Elegant and rich, this supermoist pillow of chocolate cake gets its color and texture from the vibrant-red, naturally sweet beet. There’s nothing artificial about this dramatically hued holiday treat coated in a dense cloud of creamy white frosting. We purée the tender beet root with buttermilk and vanilla to create a luscious cream that not only adds a light, velvety texture to the cupcake but also allows us to use less sugar, oil, and butter in the batter, saving fat and hundreds of calories. You simply can’t “beet” it.

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Stained Glass Window Cookies

Credit: Photo: Linda Pugliese
View Recipe: Stained Glass Window Cookies

We found that Jolly Rancher candies produced the brightest, most vibrant "stained glass." Be sure to use the original sweet candies, not the sour flavors. To crush, place each color in its own heavy-duty zip-top bag; crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet. You'll find sparkling sugar in craft or specialty stores, but you can also use turbinado sugar as a substitute.

​Pretty Packaging: These cookies are sturdy and stackable once cool. Shop for a rectangular box to hold them snugly and wrap with metallic paper for a sleek, stylish gift.

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Fresh Gingerbread Squares

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Fresh Gingerbread Squares

Teff flour is a soft, almost-fluffy whole-grain flour with an intense nuttiness that makes it excellent for baking. But the beauty of fresh gingerbread is finding the perfect texture—delicate yet dense—so we add a bit of hearty whole-wheat flour to give this treat a heftier, more winter-worthy base. Stout beers adds a pleasantly earthy bitterness that complements the molasses, fresh ginger, and cinnamon; any frothy leftovers will pair nicely with a still-warm baked square. If you don't have any stout on hand, simply use 1/4 cup additional buttermilk instead.

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Iced Whole-Wheat Sugar Cookies

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Iced Whole-Wheat Sugar Cookies

Whole-wheat flour adds a layer of complexity to these cookies that all-purpose flour can't achieve; the wheat in the whole grain actually enhances the flavors of butter and vanilla. Unlike classic royal icing, which starts with a pound of powdered sugar, we use just 1/2 cup and thicken it with Greek yogurt. Looking for festive colors without the chemicals? Try naturally colored sparkling sugars (such as those from India Tree), which use colorants derived from plants.

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Tangy Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Tangy Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Classic lemon squares can contain 36g sugar per piece. We put a puckery cheesecake spin on ours—cutting sugar to just 6g per bar—which allows the bright citrus to shine. One of our reviewers describes these as "surprisingly decadent." We completely agree. Consider making these the night before the big day. They only require 25 minutes of prep but need at least 3 hours to chill. Be sure to coat the pan with cooking spray so they'll easily lift out of the pan.

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Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

These moist bars feature the seasonal pairing of peppermint and chocolate. They're sure to be a hit with everyone—children included—at your holiday party.

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    1 of 11 Molasses Crinkle Cookies
    2 of 11 Ginger Coins
    3 of 11 Salted Caramel Apple Pie
    4 of 11 Gingerfolk Cookies
    5 of 11 Fudgy Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies
    6 of 11 Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes
    7 of 11 Stained Glass Window Cookies
    8 of 11 Fresh Gingerbread Squares
    9 of 11 Iced Whole-Wheat Sugar Cookies
    10 of 11 Tangy Lemon Cheesecake Bars
    11 of 11 Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

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