Holiday Cookie Cutouts
Recipe from EatingWell

There is no need to wait for December to enjoy crisp sugar cookies in fanciful shapes. Capture the spirit of fall by baking maple leaf- or pumpkin-shaped cookies. And when the festive season arrives, have fun with holiday shapes like stars and wreaths. Use the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping for crisp cookies that make perfect teatime treats or finish with Decorator Icing for more elaborate cookies (see Cookie-Decorating Tips, below).


Holiday Cookie Cutouts


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Prep Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 3 hrs
Servings: 32 cookies
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Ingredients
 
savings in
 
  • 1 2/3  cups  all-purpose flourOn Sale
  • 3/4  cup  whole-wheat flourOn Sale
  • 1  teaspoon  baking powderOn Sale
  • 1/4  teaspoon  saltOn Sale
  • 1/3  cup  low-fat firm silken tofu, (see Ingredient note)On Sale
  • 1    large eggOn Sale
  • 1  cup  sugarOn Sale
  • 1/4  cup  canola oilOn Sale
  • 1  tablespoon  butter, softenedOn Sale
  • 2  teaspoons  vanilla extractOn Sale
  •     Cinnamon-Sugar Topping, or Decorator Icing (recipes follow)On Sale

Directions
1.
Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
2.
Puree tofu in a food processor. Add egg, sugar, oil, butter and vanilla; process until smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides. Add the dry ingredients and pulse several times just until dough clumps together.
3.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead several times. Divide in half and press each piece into a disk. Dust disks with flour and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
4.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
5.
Working with one piece at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough slightly less than 1/4-inch thick. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. Gather scraps and re-roll. Place cookies about 1/2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. If using Cinnamon-Sugar Topping, add it now.
6.
Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until light golden around the edges, 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.
7.
If using Decorator Icing, decorate cookies as desired. Let stand until frosting has set, 30 to 45 minutes.

Tips:
Ingredient note: Choose silken-style tofu, available in most supermarkets, rather than regular tofu for this recipe. It has a custard-like texture, which is suitable for pureeing.
Cookie-Decorating Tips
To tint icing: Place small quantities of icing in several small bowls. Add a little food coloring to each one and mix well. You will obtain the most vivid colors if you use paste food colors, which are available at craft stores and cake-decorating shops.
To make a piped design: If icing seems too stiff, thin with a few drops of water. Spoon icing into a pastry bag fitted with a fine writing tip or a paper piping cone. (To make a paper piping cone, cut a piece of parchment or wax paper into a 15x12x8-inch triangle. Starting at the short corner, wrap the triangle up along the long side to make a tight cone. Fold the tip into the cone to secure it. Spoon icing into cone, close the top of the cone and fold edges over to seal. Cut a small opening in the tip.) To outline a cookie for accent, pipe a continuous line or a series of connected dots around it.
To paint cookies: Thin icing with water until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Using a clean watercolor paintbrush, coat the tops of the cookies with icing.
To make swirls: Paint cookies with one icing color. While it is still wet, use a paper piping cone or plastic condiment bottle to drop a contrasting color onto the cookies. Draw the tip of a toothpick through both colors, creating a swirled effect.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition information
Calories 67, Total Fat 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 6 mg, Sodium 25 mg, Carbohydrate 11 g, Protein 1 g, Potassium 23 mg. Exchanges: Starch 0.5,Other Carbohydrate 0.5. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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Sugar Cookie Cutouts
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Here's a low-calorie, lower-fat version of traditional sugar cookie dough. Roll out and shape it for all your favorite holiday cookies.

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