Last year, the buzz going around was that Santa needed to go on a diet. When we think of Santa, we think big, cuddly, and jolly. Santa wouldn’t be Santa if he were thin, but we do want him to be healthy so he can continue to spread his acts of kindness around the world. Healthy can be yummy.

I’ve been told by someone who knows that Santa’s favorite healthy cookies are chocolate chip cookies. It is possible to bake healthy chocolate chip cookies for Santa when you replace white flour with whole wheat and oat flours, egg with egg whites, milk chocolate chips with dark chocolate, limit the sugar, and use fat free milk. Whole wheat cookies can often taste like sawdust. Not these. These whole wheat cookies get their rich taste from the Ghirardelli chocolate chips.

For this healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe, the result is a batch of healthy cookies that are full of flavor. Dark Ghirardelli chocolate chips (60% cacao) are recommended because they’re richer-tasting and bigger chips, so you get more chocolate taste with fewer chips.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup I Can’t Believe Its Butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 egg whites
1/4 cup nonfat milk
5 oz. Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips (or your favorite bittersweet chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter substitute and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg whites, then the milk. Stir in the flour mixture. Stir in the Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes or until browned around the edges.

Makes 36 cookies.

Leave these cookies for Santa and I’ll bet you might get an extra special gift this Christmas!

source: heart-healthy-cooking.suite101.com (The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup butter and 1 egg - I tweaked it to make even healthier cookies for Santa ~ compare butter and I Can’t Believe It’s Butter)

Use this huge pumpkin cookie as a colorful Halloween party centerpiece. Then break or cut into pieces and serve for dessert. This Great Pumpkin Cookie recipe makes a 12-inch cookie large enough for 12 servings. It’s yummy and it’s a real treat! Make many for a party cookie decorating competition. Everyone’s a winner when they get to bring their cookies home…if they aren’t devoured first! (more…)

Use this basic holiday butter cookie recipe to all your Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, or other holiday cookie baking. For Halloween fun, make The Great Pumpkin Cookie recipe for a Halloween party centerpiece or party activity. This Holiday Butter Cookie recipe can be used to make the edible Thanksgiving cookie mobile found on Nana Finds. The cookies can also be used as Thanksgiving party favors. Use different cookie cutters for holidays throughout the year. (more…)

Use this homemade Black Cat Fudge recipe to make the witch for the Full-Moon Pumpkin Cheesecake in Nana’s Corner Halloween recipes and other spooky Halloween creatures for your Halloween celebration!

Black Cat Fudge

What you’ll need:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chapped
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup shipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 16  (1 pound) confectioners’ sugar (about 4 1/2 cups), sifted
• White chocolate chips (about 30) - or white icing

What to do:

1. 1 line 11×7-inch pan with foil, extending foil beyond edges of pan; grease foil.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in medium saucepan over low heat; stir in corn syrup, cream, vanilla and salt. Remove from heat and gradually stir in confecitoners’ sugar until smooth.
3. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
4. Using foil as handles, remove fudge form pan; peel off foil. Using diagram as guide, cut out cats. Frequently clean knife with warm water and dray thoroughly to prevent sticking. Place 2 white chocolate chips on each cat for eyes. Using knife score feet to make claws. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.
    
   Makes about 1 1/2 pounds (12 to 15 cats - 2 1/2″ high by 2 1/2″ wide)

Full-Moon Pumpkin Cheesecake

The cheesecake is the eerie background behind a chocolate fudge broomstick flying witch. Other possibilities are a fence with a cat against the Halloween moon or turn the pumpkin cheesecake into a pumpkin with a spooky face. Leave off the witch and serve the Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving. Delicious! (more…)

Having the grandchildren over for Trick or Treating or visiting on a day close to Halloween? Are you short on time for preparing Halloween party treats to serve them? Or, do you enjoy cooking with children? Here are sandwich, soup, and spooky ghost dessert Halloween party treats that will be fun to prepare for lunch or supper (with or for your grandchildren) and won’t take too much time:

Pumpkin Shaped Sandwiches

Total time: 45 minutes
Makes 12

Ingredients:

1 box (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts
6 oz sliced extra-sharp Cheddar, Swiss or American cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

•  Heat oven to 425F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil.
• On work surface, unroll pie crust and cut each of the two crusts into 12 pumpkin shapes with a 3-in. pumpkin cookie cutter. Using a 2-in. round cutter, cut 24 rounds from the sliced ham and 24 rounds from the sliced cheese.
• Put 2 slices each of ham and cheese in the center or each of the 12 pumpkins. With a small brush, brush beaten egg around edges.
• Top with remaining pumpkins, carefully pressing on edges to seal. Using a spoon, make ridges on pumpkins by pressing into tops in a few places. With a small knife, pierce ridges in a couple of places to vent.
• Place on prepared pan. Brush tops with beaten egg. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light golden. Let cool on rack a couple of minutes before serving.

Bloody Soup

Total time: 10 minutes
Makes 6 cups, 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 jar (24 to 26 oz) marinara sauce
1 jar (about 7 oz) roasted red peppers, drained
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 can (14 1/2 oz) reduced-sodium beef broth
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Red food color (optional)

Directions:

• Put sauce, peppers, tomatoes, oil and garlic in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
• Pour into a medium saucepan along with the broth and Worcestershire sauce. Stirring often, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• Remove from heat; stir in a few drops of food color if desired. To serve, pour from a liquid measuring cup into shot glasses or other small cups.

Spooky Ghosts

Total Time: 20 minutes
Makes 8

Ingredients:

1 box (6.2 oz) Rice Krispies Treats (8 bars)
8 ( 8- 12-in) cookie sticks
2/3 cup white ready-to-use fulled fondant
Confectioners’ sugar
16 mini-chocolate chips
Styrofoam or floral foam

Directions:

• Roll each Rice Krispies Treat into a 2 1/2-inch-long bullet shape. Insert a cookie stick into flat end of treat, then stick into foam to stand straight.
• Scoop out 8 rounded tablespoons of fondant. Dust surface and rolling pin with confectioners’ sugar. Roll a Tbsp at a time into a 6- 6 1/2-inch circle.
• Drape fondant over Treat. Press on chocolate chips for eyes. Repeat with remaining fondant and chips.

Source: Woman’s Day Magazine, Nov. 1, 2008 issue