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I have an EXTENSIVE collection of cookie cutters, stamps, and Springele molds. I used to bake cookies for every major holiday and season and reveled in decorating them, gifting them, and eating them. I have quite the stash of decorative sugars. Of course the recipes are heavy on the butter, which gives them their taste and texture. When I had to drastically cut the saturated fat in my diet, the butter, for the most part had to go, especially as it is just my husband and me for whom I'm baking right now. I had hoped my numbers would improve so that I could sneak in an occasional shortbread, but they didn't improve enough.
So, as we get into the season of major baking, I was feeling depressed, especially when looking at all the cookie cutters I have stashed in our apt. I looked on the internet for oil-based rolled cookies. I found one and was not overly impressed. However, last year I found a recipe for "Easy Italian Whole Wheat Honey Breakfast Cookies," that does use oil, and I used it successfully at Halloween with Nordic Ware Halloween cookie stamps. The design came out well. The taste was ok, once I got over my memories of butter cookies.
I am not a great fan of a strong honey flavor, which these cookies have. I began to wonder if I could adapt this honey cookie recipe to one that used maple syrup. I googled "substitute maple syrup for honey," and found a suggested amount of 1 cup of honey to 3/4 cup maple syrup plus 1/2 cup sugar. Maple syrup is not as thick as honey and has more water, so that is why the extra sugar is needed.
I worked out that for 1/4 cup honey, I needed 3 Tbs. maple syrup and 2 Tbs. sugar, and I chose to use maple sugar. I used white whole wheat flour in order not to cover up the maple flavor and added 1 Tbs. Bob's Red Mill powdered milk. I whisked the wet ingredients and the sugar together before adding to the dry ingredients. After combining the ingredients, I refrigerated the dough for an hour. I rolled it out to 1/8th inch, then cut with autumn leaf shaped cutters (about 2 1/2 x 3 inches). The dough would start to get sticky, so I had to stop and refrigerate it a couple of times before continuing. Next time, I'll roll it out before I refrigerate it, so that it's ready to go when cold. I sprinkled some autumn nonpareils on top. I baked for 10 minutes at 375F. The cookies did not spread but did puff up acceptably.
While these will never win against a butter-based cookie, they are very good. They are slightly crispy, and I can taste the maple. My husband nibbled one after our walk and pronounced them good. We will consider how they are as we eat them over the next few days, and I will think about whether I want to tweak the recipe. I could add 1/8 tsp. maple extract, but sometimes it takes over from the regular flavor, so I use it cautiously. I've wondered about increasing the maple sugar. If the members on this site lived nearby, I'd have all of you over for a cookie tasting advisory.
BakerAunt, my grandmother's recipe box has a recipe I've never tried. It's for a roll-out cookie. It calls for butter, but maybe you can adjust that to oil. I have no memory of eating these cookies growing up, so I can't vouch for the taste.
NEW DEAL COOKIES (Yield: About 2 dozen)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanillaCream butter & sugar. Add eggs & milk. Sift flour twice. Add baking powder & salt. Beat with other ingredients. Chill dough. Roll thin & cut. Top with walnuts. Bake 10-12 minutes in 350 degree oven.
All my grandmother's sweet recipes call for sifting flour at least twice. I tell myself flour is better now and only sift once. The time I left out sifting altogether, I was disappointed with the finished product.
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