Custom Cookies

What could be better than a holiday cookie made just for you? Is a child (or adult) in your life into dinosaurs, horses, skating, skiing? You can probably find a cookie cutter that matches the passion of the recipient. Fill the kitchen the warm spicy aromas of my healthy gingerbread cookie recipe, decorate with the following royal icing, and above all, have fun!

Wholesome Gingerbread Cookies

Honor your family’s holiday baking tradition with this updated version of a classic gingerbread cookie. The full flavor comes from a rich blend of spices—just 1 Tbsp butter gives the cookies lovely finish—and whole-wheat flour complements the spices.

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole-wheat flour (See Ingredient Note)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup canola oil or mild olive oil

1/4 cup molasses

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until blended. Whisk egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, molasses, and butter in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually stir in flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated. (Mix with your hands, if necessary, to form a firm, but slightly sticky dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces; form each one into a ball, then flatten slightly. Dust dough rounds lightly with flour and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours or for up to 2 days.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 round of dough with a flour-dusted rolling pin to a thickness of slightly more than 1/8-inch. Use a cookie cutter (or improvise with a clean tin can or a glass) to cut out desired shapes. Carefully place cookies, at least 1 inch apart, on a prepared baking sheet. Bake until cookies just begin to brown around the edges, 8 to 11 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and dough scraps. Decorate cookies as desired (See Tip.)

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from a soft variety of wheat, which has less gluten-forming potential than regular whole-wheat flour, and is therefore an excellent choice for tender baked goods. White whole-wheat flour is a special variety of hard wheat. Although it has a lighter color and sweeter flavor than regular whole-wheat flour, this flour contains all benefits of whole-grain flour because it is milled from the entire wheat berry. Both types of flour are available in natural foods sections of supermarkets or through web sources, such as kingarthurflour.com or bobsredmill mill.com. Store all whole-wheat flours in an airtight container or bag on the refrigerator or freezer.

Royal Icing

This is the traditional icing for decorating cookies, special cakes and gingerbread houses. It is perfect for piping or it can be thinned with water and painted over cookies. It dries to a beautiful matte finish. To avoid health concerns associated with uncooked eggs, use pasteurized egg whites. You can find both refrigerated cartons of pasteurized egg whites, such as Papetti Foods All Whites, and convenient pasteurized dried egg whites, such as Just Whites, in most supermarkets.

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

6 Tbsp. pasteurized liquid egg whites or equivalent reconstituted dried egg whites (3 egg whites)

Food coloring (optional)

Water for thinning, if needed

Sift sugar and cream of tartar into a large mixing bowl. Add egg whites. Using an electric mixer, beat at low speed until mixed. Increase speed to high and beat until icing has thickened and holds peaks, 8 to 10 minutes. (Keep icing covered with a damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out while you are working.)

Makes about 2 cups

Tip: To decorate dinosaur cookies: Spread cookies on a sheet of wax paper. Spoon about 1 1/4 cups Royal Icing or Egg-Free Decorator Icing into a small bowl and tint with green food coloring. Thin to a painting consistency a little water. With a pastry brush or clean water color brush, paint cookies with green icing. Tint remaining icing with yellow food coloring and thin to a painting consistency. Before green icing has set, use water color brush to dab yellow spots on cookies. (Alternatively, pipe dots of unthinned yellow icing over cookies.) Melt 1 oz. chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate) in microwave or in small bowl over barely simmering water and spoon into a paper decorating cone (see directions below). Pipe chocolate eyes and smiles on each dinosaur. If desired, pipe an outline of chocolate around edge of each cookie. Carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack and let stand until icing has set, 30 to 45 minutes.

To Make a Paper Decorating Cone: Cut a triangle from parchment paper or wax paper measuring about 11 inches by 8 inches by 8 inches. Grasp the center of the triangle along the long side, bring one corner up to center tip, then wrap the other corner around to meet the other corner and form a cone. Make sure cone is completely closed. Fold tip under to secure. Spoon in filling and fold open end over several times to enclose filling. Snip a small hole in tip.