Gingerbread cookies with a healthy twist? A personal recipe from author, Ann Tarpley Francesco, when your family or friends sink their teeth into these tasty morsels, you will be shouting BRAVO, and so will they!
INGREDIENTS:
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup ripe avocado (about 2 small ones)
3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (your choice)
1/2 cup unsulphered molasses
1 large egg
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices, then set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter and mashed avocado on high speed until soft.
Add the brown sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.
Beat in molasses, then the egg, scraping edges of the bowl until combined.
On low speed, add dry ingredients in batches until blended.
Shape into a large flat square by hand, kneading a few minutes until smooth.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours, until firm enough to roll out.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle with flour.
Place dough on floured parchment paper or floured cutting board, and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
Using your train cookie cutter, cut out the train shape and carefully transfer to the lined cookie sheets.
Bake for about 8 minutes (May take longer depending on your oven).
Cookies will be soft coming out of the oven, but will harden slightly once they cool.
Decorate your cookies with the decoration suggestions on this page or come up with your own ideas, and have fun!
Avocados contain less fat and fewer calories than butter (1/2 cup equivalent: Avocados = 200 calories; Butter = 800 calories). They also yield a softer, moister baked good, and are less likely to crumble.
Best of all, avocados contain numerous vitamins and minerals including Vitamins E, B, and K, potassium, folate, fiber, protein and Omega 3's. BRAVO indeed! Unsulphered molasses is extracted directly from ripe sugarcane, not requiring sulfur in its production. Its rich and light flavor contains a number of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorous, chromium, cobalt and sodium. It is a good source of energy and carbohydrates and contains sugars various vitamins such as niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin B-6, thiamine and riboflavin. We can't wait for you to be able to order your The Gingerbread Train Gift Set, COMING SOON, so you can make your very own Gingerbread Train cookies!