Ideas for low-sugar cookies
By Wanda Adams
My cookbook shelf is once again overflowing. I attended the members' preview of the Friends of the Library of Hawai'i book sale last week and was literally the first person to get to the local cookbook shelf after the doors opened. I went through that thing like a vacuum cleaner and scooped up four of the Maui Extension Homemakers' Council cookbooks, plus a set of the late Maili Yardley's books and — showing my age — an irresistible collection purported to be comedian and TV personality Lucky Luck's favorites.
What I didn't find was a good low-sugar, no-sugar cookbook. But Ann Cecil of Honolulu replied in response to Gail Kimura's earlier request for a sugar-free cookie.
This one is made with Splenda. One note from Ann: She uses Promise margarine, which has 75 percent less saturated fat than butter.
Sugar-free sugar cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream 1 cup softened butter (or low-fat margarine) with 1 1/2 cups Splenda. Stir in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl, combine 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour, 3/4 cup white flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more, if desired), 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir into butter mixture. Finally, stir in 3 cups rolled oats. Drop by rounded teaspoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
Makes about 4 dozen.
Variations: Ann pointed out a number of ways to vary this recipe. Pour melted unsweetened chocolate into the butter mixture. (She didn't specify how much, but similar recipes call for 3 ounces.) Add 1/2-3/4 cup of peanut butter when you add the rolled oats. Or add 1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans along with the rolled oats.
Another sugar-free recipe came from "attentive reader Vickie O." In this case, sugar-free does not mean sugarless, as the recipe calls for both dates and coconut.
Sugar-free date-nut cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together 1/3 pound butter or margarine, 1 egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another bowl, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix butter and flour mixtures together and add 1 cup dates, 1 cup coconut and 1 cup chopped nuts.
Roll into a log 1 1/2 inches in diameter and freeze. Cut into 3/8-inch slices and bake 7-10 minutes, removing before the cookie browns.
Makes about 2 dozen.
Advertiser Food Editor
