Yield: 18 cookies

Ingredients:
· Juice of 1 lemon
· 2 egg whites
· Pinch salt
· ¼ tsp cream of tartar
· ½ cup Splenda, granular
· 1 sugar free candy cane
· ½ tsp vanilla extract
· 2 tbsp sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with Pam.
3. Combine the egg whites, lemon juice, cream of tartar, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
4. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites into a meringue, until the whites are thick and stand up in peaks.
5. Add the Splenda and vanilla and whip for 30 seconds.
6. Drop by the spoonful onto pan, making 12 cookies.
7. Crush the candy cane into small bits.
8. Sprinkle the candy cane on top of the cookies.
9. Bake 1 ½ hours, then turn the oven off and let the cookies sit in the oven while it is left partially open until the oven is cool.
10. Remove the cookies from the tray and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritional Information:
12 calories/ 0g fat per cookie

Recipe courtesy of Wellspring Academies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup Splenda, granulated
1 tbsp egg whites
2 tsp orange zest
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ginger
1 cup chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white whole wheat flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
Glaze:
½ cup Splenda, granulated
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
Pinch of salt
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp orange extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with Pam.
3. Combine the applesauce, Splenda, egg whites, orange zest, salt, ginger, chopped cranberries, and vanilla in a bowl and stir.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and stir until just combined, no longer.
5. Drop by the small spoonful onto the baking pan.
6. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are firm.
7. Combine the glaze ingredients and stir until smooth.
8. Taste the glaze and adjust flavorings if needed.
9. Let cool for 5 minutes, and then remove from the pan.
10. Drizzle glaze over cookies.

Approximate Nutritional Information:
27 calories/0.1g per cookie

Recipe courtesy of Wellspring Academies

The holiday season is upon us and that means delicious and sometimes not so healthy treats. Laurel Hudson, culinary instructor at Wellspring Academies has created several tasty cookie recipes that the family will love. This Gingerbread Cookies Recipe will be the first in a series of healthy holiday cookie recipes featured here courtesy of Wellspring Academies.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup Fiber One original bran cereal
1 package whole wheat gingerbread cake or cookie mix
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ cup granulated Splenda
Pinch of salt
½ cup canned pure pumpkin
¼ cup warm water
3 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
6 packets of Truvia no calorie sweetener
Pam spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with Pam.
3. In a food processor, grind the cereal until it looks like flour, then pour into a bowl.
4. Add the gingerbread mix, all the spices, the baking powder, Splenda, and salt and mix well.
5. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin with the warm water, molasses, and vanilla and mix well.
6. Add the pumpkin mixture to the other bowl and stir until blended.
7. Knead the dough to combine.
8. Roll the dough into 1/2” balls, making 36 cookies dough balls total, and place them on the cookie sheet.
9. Flatten balls or scoops with the back of a spoon dipped in the Truvia, so the dough doesn’t stick to the spoon.
10. Bake in the oven for 10-20 minutes, or until the edges are firm.
11. Let cool for 5 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
12. Remove from the pan and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritional Information:
54 calories/0.1g per cookie

Ingredients:

1 30 oz. can of Libby’s Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
½ cup of egg beaters or egg whites
1 cup evaporated skim milk
2 9-inch pie pans
Directions:

1. Mix pumpkin pie mix, evaporated milk, and egg substitute in large bowl
2. Pour into pie shells.
3. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool for 2 hours or refrigerate. Serve plain or with fat free Cool Whip (15 calories for 2 tablespoons).

Yield: 12 3.5 oz Servings

Nutritional Information:
97 Calories
.4 Fat grams
3.2 Protein grams
20 Carbohydrate grams

Recipe courtesy of the culinary staff at Wellspring Academies.