Well, Christmas is almost here, less than a week. My darling daughter has been begging me to make cookies for Santa so we did.

I always try to kick the health up a bit when I bake or cook for my family, so this recipe has a few healthy changes as compared to most other recipes.  (Like 1/2 the sugar, mixed flours, and protein powder)

What it takes:

1/4 Cup Instant Protein
1     Cup oat flour
1     Cup unbleached flour
1     tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (sometimes I do less than this-like a 1/4)
1     Cup (2 sticks) organic butter – softened
1/2 Cup cane sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
2     tsp Vanilla extract
2     Eggs
1     Bag of Un41’s (Unreal Candy)
1     Bag Pretzel Crisps (flavor your choice)

• Preheat oven to 350* F.
• Stir flour with baking soda and salt; leave for later.
• Beat softened butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy.
• Add vanilla then eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed. Mix it all up good.

• Gradually blend dry ingredients into creamy mixture.
• Scoop out into rounded balls (I use a pampered chef cookie scoop so they are all the same size.)
• Place the Un41’s, 3 per cookie, in a close triangle. These will spread as the cookies bake.
• Place 2 broken pretzel crisps in the side of the dough ball, over the eyes.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes, depending on your oven.

This recipe allows for great taste, half the sugar, a slight protein punch and mixed grain flours to up your fiber a bit. Unreal candy is from whole foods with no artificial ingredients, corn syrups, or preservatives. The pretzel crisps only have 3 ingredients.  Enjoy!  

It IS still a cookie, but it is also just a step healthier.

Just to keep it real… They didn’t all look this cute!