SANTA’S LITTLE HELPERS + GINGERBREAD COOKIE RECIPE
Sugar and spice and everything nice!
I am working with a client to come up with healthy recipes for her and her family. This past weekend, we decided to involve the kids. As you can see from the photo, my little helpers each had their own aprons (actually they were mine but we made them fit) and were ready to get cookin’!
If you have or know kids who generally do not like to eat healthy foods, consider a cooking class tailored just for them. When they are part of the process and having fun, they will tend to experiment more. Also, seeing them with a mixing bowl bigger than their heads and flour all over the place is a truly joyous site and a great way to ring in the holidays.
Here is a kid-approved ‘healthy-ish’ gingerbread cookie recipe perfect for this time of year. The recipe is quick and easy, non-dairy, contains ground ginger – a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, cacao – another excellent antioxidant, and has less white sugar than typical recipes so you can have your cookie and eat it too.
Here’s how it’s done:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup any kind of non-dairy milk (I used almond)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 raw cacao powder (find this online at Amazon or at Whole Foods - buy organic)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cups white chocolate chips or 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting
- cookie cutters (optional)
- *remember, organic is always best. Since you do not eat cookies everyday (I hope), why not splurge on organic for this recipe. The ingredients will last you for many more baking sessions.
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, mix together oil, sugar, molasses and non-dairy milk with a fork until creamy.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Sift in flour, cacao powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cloves. Stir until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. If you are dusting with powdered sugar, omit this step. You will dust at the end after the cookies have cooled.
- Roll dough with a rolling pin on a floured surface until it's about 1/4 inch thick.
- Use cookie cutters to make various shapes. If you do not have cookie cutters, just roll the dough into walnut sized balls and flatten into disks.
- Place your masterpieces about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Check them at about 9 minutes. I like my cookies a little soft so 10 minutes was perfect.
- Let them cool for 5-10 minutes and serve. If dusting with powder, use a sifter (or mesh strainer) to dust them lightly. Make sure you wait until they are cool or the sugar will melt and look like melted snow which is not what you want.
Nota bene: The highlight of this day was surprisingly not eating the gingerbread cookies. It was when my client’s daughter came over to me for a piece of purple cabbage, which I was cutting up for her mom’s lunches. This is a new food we can add to her ‘accepted healthy foods’ list. Her mom had no idea that she would eat something like cabbage since she is an extremely picky eater. And of all vegetables, purple cabbage?! Anyway, success. Getting kids and people in general to incorporate healthy, healing foods into their lives means the world to me. Remember, brightly colored fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants and essential for optimal health. Need help implementing more self care and more fruits and veggies into your life? Contact me for health coaching and nutrition advice.
Happy Holidays to all!
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